Petaluma and Sonoma County Mental Health Resources

Every year millions of people in the United States seek mental health counseling or other support. In fact, a recent poll quoted by the American Psychological Association found that nearly 50% of households polled had someone in their family who used mental health services in the past year. As mental health treatment has become less stigmatized more people are receiving the help they need.

Unfortunately many populations are still undeserved by the resources we do have available. Psychotherapy is costly in many places making it hard for people to get the help they need. In Petaluma, CA the average cost of a therapy session is $125 per hour. For many people this makes counseling inaccessible. While some private therapists, myself included, reserve time for pro bono work the number of free or low-cost spaces available are limited.

Luckily there are a number of great community mental health services in Petaluma and the greater Sonoma County. We are fortunate to live somewhere with so many options available to people who need them.

Free Mental Health Counseling

Petaluma Low Cost and Free Resources

If you are in Petaluma you might be looking for low cost mental health resources. Even in our small town there are a number of resources available for people seeking help. All of the places listed below offer counseling or psychotherapy services at affordable rates.

Counseling

Organization: Petaluma People Services Center
Location: 1500 Petaluma Blvd S.
Website: PetalumaPeople.org
Call: (707) 765-8488
Email: Admin@PetalumaPeople.org

This community counseling clinic offers low-cost sliding scale counseling. The clinic offers support around the following topics: relationship difficulties, parent education, anger, behavioral problems, school problems, adolescent issues, anxiety, depression, divorce, and domestic violence. They offer counseling to children, teens, families, and adults.

Organization: Hope Counseling Petaluma
Location: 941 B Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
Website: HopeCounselingPetaluma.com
Call: (707) 763-9484
Email: Contact Form on Site

Hope counseling center provides help for people who are coping with chronic pain, stress, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, and process addictions. They are a non-profit organization and fees are set based on client’s ability to pay. This clinic does have a Christian slant that is incorporated into how they work with clients.

Addiction Support

In addition to counseling resources you might be looking for recovery groups or support groups. Generally, recovery meetings are donation based and there is absolutely no fee to attend. The groups are usually drop-in so you can go as frequently or infrequently as you like. Most recovery meetings are peer led. This means there is no therapist or facilitator but instead people from the community take turns running the meetings.

Website: RefugeRecovery.org Refuge recovery is a Buddhist inspired path to addiction recovery. There are currently nine meetings per week in Sonoma county and one weekly meeting in Petaluma. If you are looking for an alternative to other recovery programs, Refuge Recovery offers something different. Meetings are peer led and generally include a guided meditation and time for sharing.

Refuge Recovery

Website: RefugeRecovery.org Refuge recovery is a Buddhist inspired path to addiction recovery. There are currently nine meetings per week in Sonoma county and one weekly meeting in Petaluma. If you are looking for an alternative to other recovery programs, Refuge Recovery offers something different. Meetings are peer led and generally include a guided meditation and time for sharing.
Website: SonomaCountyAA.org Alcoholics Anonymous is one of the oldest peer-led recovery programs. There are millions of people who have gotten sober through the program and fellowship. In Petaluma and Sonoma County there are many weekly meetings. One of the benefits of AA is the number of meetings offered and strength of the community.

Alcoholics Anonymous

Website: SonomaCountyAA.org Alcoholics Anonymous is one of the oldest peer-led recovery programs. There are millions of people who have gotten sober through the program and fellowship. In Petaluma and Sonoma County there are many weekly meetings. One of the benefits of AA is the number of meetings offered and strength of the community.
Website: SmartRecovery.org SMART recovery is a program that is based on the tenants of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Meetings are led by a trained facilitator and include psychoeducation as well as time for sharing and support. The benefit of this program is that it is based on evidence based practices. Research has demonstrated that CBT is an effective treatment for substance use related disorders. The drawback is that there are relatively few local meetings.

SMART Recovery

Website: SmartRecovery.org SMART recovery is a program that is based on the tenants of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Meetings are led by a trained facilitator and include psychoeducation as well as time for sharing and support. The benefit of this program is that it is based on evidence based practices. Research has demonstrated that CBT is an effective treatment for substance use related disorders. The drawback is that there are relatively few local meetings.

Sonoma County Low Cost and Free Mental Health Services

In addition to the services I listed that are specific to Petaluma, there are also resources available in the greater Sonoma County. We are lucky to live somewhere committed to mental health care because it means there are a number of quality therapy clinics that are affordable. I know people who work or have worked at every place on this list and I can speak to the quality of the therapists.

Counseling

Organization: Nami Sonoma County
Location: 182 Farmers Lane Suite 202 Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Website: NamiSonomaCounty.org
Call: (707) 527-6655
Email: info@namisoco.org

NAMI Sonoma County is our local chapter of the National Alliance of Mental Illness. They provide free and low cost groups, counseling, and psychoeducation for people who have been affected in some way by mental health challenges. They work both with people who are struggling with various disorders and their family members.

Organization: SOS Community Counseling
Location: Various clinics and locations in Sonoma County
Website: SOSCounseling.org
Call: (707) 284-3444
Email: info@SOSCounseling.org

SOS is a non-profit mental health agency. They provide free and low cost individual therapy for individuals, families, couples, and youth. They have a number of locations across Sonoma County. If you are interested in the services they provide, you can call them for more information about location and cost.

Organization: Lomi Psychotherapy Clinic
Location: 534 B Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Website: Lomi.org
Call: (707) 579-0465 ext. 227
Email: TMcNeil@Lomi.org

Lomi is a low-cost counseling clinic located in Santa Rosa. Lomi has over 20 trained professionals who can provide individual, couples, and family therapy to those who need it. They have a strong somatic focus and help treat the people they work with by focusing on the body. They have been open for over 25 years and are highly regarded for the quality of care they provide.

Organization: Chrysalis Counseling
Location: 1821 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Website: ChrysalisCounseling.org
Call: (707) 545-1670
Email: Info@ChrysalisCounseling.org

Chrysalis is a psychotherapy clinic that offers counseling to individuals, children, families, and couples are affordable rates. They have been open for over 30 years and are committed to providing quality low-cost therapy to those who need it. They are rooted in the feminist theory of counseling and provide care that is compassionate and collaborative.

Sonoma County Crisis IntervensionCrisis Intervention

If you find yourself in a crisis situation you might need more immediate help than therapy. It is important to reach out for help both for yourself or someone who love if there is an acute emergency. While you can always call the local police department, there are also some targeted crisis intervention services available in Sonoma County. I have had colleges who work at these places and they are dedicated to being a stable and compassionate presence during the most difficult times.

Organization: Psychiatric Emergency Services
Call: (707) 576-818
All Other Emergencies: Call 911

This resources is a crisis intervention hotline that should be used in the case of psychiatric emergencies. If you or someone you know is having a psychiatric emergency you can call this hotline and they will talk you through the next steps.

Organization: Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Call: (800) 273-8255
Website: SuicidePreventionLifeline.org

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or behavior you can reach out the the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. They have staff available 24/7 to talk you through a crisis and direct you to local resources.

Organization: Veteran’s Crisis Line
Call: (800) 273-8255 press 1
Text: 838255
Website: VeteranCrisisLine.net

If you are a veteran you can reach out to this crisis hotline. You can call or text and will receive and immediate response from their 24/7 staff. They will direct you to local services specifically geared toward veterans.

Organization: Verity
Call: (707) 545-7273
Website: OurVerity.org

Verity, which was formerly known as United Against Sexual Assault, helps people who have been the victim of sexual assault. The number listed above is their 24/7 crisis hotline. This local organization will dispatch someone to a hospital or police precinct in order to provide the necessary support to survivors.

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