An important part of anyone’s life is building healthy connections with others. As a San Diego individual and relationship counselor, I have created this page as a diverse guide to community resources in the San Diego area. I have tried to include a wide range of local contacts and opportunities. Also included are some general resource sites that are educational and not San Diego specific. This list will grow over time and if you have a suggestion, please don’t hesitate to contact me with your idea.
Important Phone Numbers
- San Diego Crisis Hotline – (800) 479-3339
- San Diego Domestic Violence Hotline – (888) DVLINKS
- San Diego Child Protective Services – (800) 344-6000
Emotional Well-being & Mental Health
- Psychology Today – Good stop for general questions, assessments, resources, etc for mental health.
- Natural Health Web – Guide to natural health and alternative medicine.
- MentalHealth.com – A comprehensive online mental health resource.
- NAMI – Another general site which provides a wealth of information for emotional problems ranging from common to severe, acute or chronic.
Substance Abuse
- Alcoholics Anonymous – Listing & information for San Diego’s twelve step meetings.
- Narcotics Anonymous – Listing & information for San Diego’s twelve step meetings.
- Harm Reduction – An informative site on harm reduction theory.
Community & Volunteer Connections
- Meetup.com – Find Groups on virtually any interest in any city. Great resource to connect with others.
- Volunteer San Diego – Nice comprehensive site to search for varied volunteer opportunities in San Diego.
- Humane Society – Volunteer opportunities for animal lovers.
- Animal Welfare Opportunities – A very comprehensive list of the many animal welfare organizations in San Diego that rely on volunteer help.
Recommended Places of Worship
(all the places of worship below are to the best of my understanding open and accepting of all people regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation)
Christianity
- First United Methodist Church – Mission Valley Methodist Church that is progressive, open and welcoming to all.
- Pacific Beach United Methodist Church – Pacific Beach Methodist Church that is progressive, open and welcoming.
- El Cajon First Presbyterian Church – Great pastor, warm congregation, and accepting.
- First Church of the Brethren – An historic peace church that has a very warm and friendly congregation and work hard to create community.
- First Lutheran Church of SD – A good reconciling church in downtown San Diego.
- University Christian Church – Comes highly recommended!
- MCC – Primarily Gay & Lesbian Church in Hillcrest area.
Judaism
- Beth Israel – An active Reform community located in University City.
Buddhism
- Hsi Fong Temple – Buddha’s Light Internations Association. Temple and community on Park Blvd. In San Diego.
- Vajrarupini Buddhist Center – Buddhist temple and community in Hillcrest.
- Deer Park Monastery – A beautiful setting in Escondido area that is a wonderful resource for retreats and practice of many forms.
Other
- Unitarian Universalists – Website for the various UU congregations in San Diego.
Domestic Violence & Abuse
- Domestic Violence Hotline – 1-888-DVLINKS
- NCADV – National Coalition Against Domestic Violence – great DV site.
- Verbal Abuse – “Dr. Irene” – a unique and comprehesive site for verbal abuse.
- Verbal Abuse – Patricia Evan’s verbal abuse site. Good resource.
Gay & Lesbian Resources
- Being Alive – Organization working with people who are living with HIV/AIDS.
- Gay & Lesbian Center – link to San Diego’s GLBT center.
- GayChurch.org – a good site for gay Christians complete with a directory to find welcoming congregations.
- KnowCrystal.org – a site for gay men who struggle with crystal meth and its effects in their lives.