The Adult Outpatient Mental Health Program at Oak Valley Health’s Markham Stouffville Hospital provides a number of services that include both individual and group therapy.

Please note that referrals for time-limited individual psychotherapy cannot be guaranteed and will be reviewed by the clinician team on a case-by-case basis. Patients who have access to EAP benefits and/or counseling through private health insurance are strongly encouraged to pursue these options to avoid a delay in service.

Our outpatient mental health team consists of psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, social workers, nurses, and addiction and mental health workers. The team is trained to support you and your family in recovery from mental illness.

If you are referred to our services, you must reside in the Eastern York Region or North Durham catchment area. An initial assessment will be offered by one of our clinicians.

Find referral form here.

If you have questions about our services and the availability of these services, please ask your family physician or contact our Mental Health Patient Navigator Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at 416-804-9386.

B.R.I.D.G.E. Day Treatment Program

Located at one of Oak Valley Health’s satellite locations, The Wellness Clinic, the B.R.I.D.G.E. Day Treatment Program is a structured, psycho-educational, group-based program serving the Mental Health system of Oak Valley Health.

The program encourages and supports the re-integration of learned life skills into real life situations. B.R.I.D.G.E. fosters the building of ongoing community supports and relationships for participants of the program. B.R.I.D.G.E. provides the opportunity to experience recovery through the process of Building, Recovering, Initiating, Developing, Growing, and Empowering. A team consisting of social workers, occupational therapists, and mental health and addiction workers coordinate clients’ care throughout the program.

Groups have been designed with the intended purpose of teaching and enhancing life skills. A life skill is the ability to cope with stressors and challenges in daily living. Life skills can be learned directly through experience and practice. Clients participate in groups focused on building life skills, promoting physical health and wellness, and developing coping strategies.

Group themes include: life balance, the recovery process, coping with illness, stress management, assertive communication, self-awareness, self-confidence, self-compassion, and yoga therapy.

Admission to the programs require a referral from a psychiatrist or a mental health nurse practitioner at Oak Valley Health.

Outpatient Mental Health Group Therapy

We offer a number of group therapy programs such as:

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
  • Art Therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Group
  • Concurrent Disorders Group – Surf’s Up!
  • Emotional Resiliency Therapy Group
  • Interpersonal Therapy for Depression
  • Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

These groups are scheduled throughout the year, depending on suitability and demand.

Find out more about our mental health outpatient group programs.

Medication and Wellness Clinic

If you live with schizophrenia or another major mental illness and you are receiving clozapine or another long-acting depot injection, our Medication and Wellness Clinic can provide you with individual assessment, medication treatment, and follow up.

Referrals to this clinic must be made by an Oak Valley Health psychiatrist.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive Health Canada-approved treatment for patients living with major depression disorder. rTMS targets regions of the brain that are overactive or underactive in patients with depression. It uses an electromagnet that discharges short, finely-focused magnetic pulses into the brain to stimulate nerve cells and enhance cognitive control.

rTMS is typically well-tolerated and side effects are minimal. The treatment runs five days per week between four and six weeks. This treatment is available to our clients with attending psychiatrists within Oak Valley Health.

Women’s Wellness Services

Offers group therapy programs to support women’s health to improve quality of life.

Please note that psychiatric assessment and/or individual psychotherapy is not offered through Women’s Wellness Services. If you (or your patient) is in need of psychiatric services, please complete a referral to the Adult Outpatient Mental Health program.

Find out more about Women’s wellness services.