Support that is always free, always led by peers.
Every program is confidential and run by trained peer supporters who have lived with mental health challenges themselves. You don't need a referral or a diagnosis to start.
Peer Support Circles
Peer Support Circles are drop-in small groups of five to twelve people, facilitated by trained peer supporters who have been through mental health challenges themselves. There is no fixed agenda and nobody asks for a diagnosis. It is the same room and the same evening each week, and what is said there stays there.
One facilitator guides the room. You can talk, or only listen. Many participants come for months before saying much at all; others talk the first night.
Who it's for: Any adult having a hard time with their mental health, diagnosed or not. Anxiety, depression, grief, isolation, and burnout are the most common reasons people come.
What to expect on your first visit: The facilitator introduces themselves and explains how the group works. Nobody goes around the circle; you speak when you want to, or not at all. What's said in the group stays in the group.
Weekly schedule
- Monday evenings, 6:30–8:00 pm: Downtown Guelph (several drop-in sites)
- Wednesday evenings, 6:30–8:00 pm: Centre Wellington (Fergus and Elora area)
- Friday evenings, 6:30–8:00 pm: online via Zoom (open to all Wellington County residents)
- 8 locations across Wellington County. Call or email for your closest site.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register in advance?
No, except for the Friday online session, which needs a quick email so we can send you the Zoom link. Otherwise, walk in any week.
Is it confidential?
Yes. All participants agree to keep what's shared in the group confidential. Facilitators are also bound by Steady Ground's confidentiality policy. The only exception is a safety concern: if someone appears to be in immediate danger, the facilitator will follow our safety protocol.
What if I don't want to talk? Can I just listen?
Yes. Many participants come for months before saying much at all, and nobody goes around the circle.
Can I bring a family member or friend?
The circles are for adults working on their own mental health, so someone who comes with you takes part as a member. If you're there to support someone else, call us and we can point you to the caregiver groups in Wellington County.
One-to-One Peer Walkabouts
Some people find it easier to talk while moving. Peer Walkabouts pair you with a trained peer supporter for a walk or a coffee, once or twice a week. There is no agenda, and you set the pace.
We match you by location, availability, and what you're dealing with. Most matches happen within a week.
Who it's for: Adults who find one-on-one support easier than groups, or who want a quieter, less structured form of peer connection. Particularly helpful during difficult transitions: returning to work, adjusting to a new diagnosis, coming out of hospital, managing a relationship breakdown.
What to expect: After you request a match, we'll contact you within two to three business days. You'll usually meet your peer supporter within a week. Sessions last roughly an hour, once or twice a week, for up to eight weeks. If you'd like to continue after that, ask, and we can extend it.
Availability
- Currently available in Guelph, Fergus, Elora, and Palmerston
- Most requests matched within one week
- 1–2 sessions per week, up to 8 weeks (extendable)
- Walking, sitting, or virtual options available
Frequently asked questions
How do I request a Walkabout match?
Call or text 555-555-5555, or email connect@example.com and ask about Walkabout matching. We'll ask you a few brief questions to help us find the right fit. They're about logistics and what you're looking for, and none of them are clinical.
What if the match doesn't feel right?
Tell us, and we'll match you with someone else. It happens, and nobody will ask you to explain.
Is the Walkabout strictly outdoors?
No. "Walkabout" is only the name. Sessions can be a walk in a park, coffee at a cafe, a sit on a bench, or a video call. You and your peer supporter pick what works.
Wellness Workshops
Our monthly Wellness Workshops are half-day Saturday sessions (10:00 am to 1:30 pm) at our Carden Street space in Guelph. Trained peers lead them, so the content is what has helped the people running the room.
Topics come from what participants ask for. Past workshops have included "Sleep, Mood, and What the Research Says," "How the Mental Health System Works, From the Inside," "Practical Grounding Skills for Hard Days," and "Understanding Medications: Questions Worth Asking Your Doctor."
Who it's for: Any adult who wants to learn practical skills or understand their mental health better. You don't need to be a current Steady Ground participant. Bring a friend if that helps.
What to expect: Sessions run about three and a half hours with a break. There's space for questions and conversation, but you're never required to share personal information. We put out tea, coffee, and something to eat.
Upcoming workshops
- When Anxiety Runs the Show: What Helps and What Doesn't Tools for the days anxiety takes over, from people who use them.
- Grief That Doesn't Look Like Grief Loss that shows up as anger, numbness, or exhaustion.
- Staying Steady in Winter: Routines, Rest, and Mood Keeping a rhythm through the short days.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register for workshops?
Yes, workshops have limited space. Email connect@example.com or call 555-555-5555 to register. Registration typically opens four weeks before each session.
Are workshops available online?
We run some workshops in a hybrid format, with a Zoom option. When registering, ask about virtual attendance and we'll let you know if it's available for the session you're interested in.
Youth Navigation Support
The mental health system is hard to make sense of. It's full of jargon, long wait lists, forms that don't make sense, and referrals that go nowhere. Youth Navigation Support helps young adults aged 18 to 30 work through it, with a peer navigator who has been through it themselves.
Peer navigators can help you understand what a referral means, what to expect from a psychiatrist or therapist appointment, how to speak up for yourself when a wait list feels endless, or simply figure out what your options are in Wellington County.
Who it's for: Young adults aged 18 to 30 dealing with the mental health system, for the first time or after a break, and especially anyone who has just aged out of youth services.
What to expect: Drop-in sessions run Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, in person at our Carden Street office or virtually. You can also book a specific appointment time. Sessions are one-on-one and confidential.
Hours and access
- Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Drop-in welcome, no appointment needed
- Virtual sessions available by appointment
- 44 Carden Street, second floor (elevator), Guelph
Frequently asked questions
Is Youth Navigation Support therapy?
No. A peer navigator helps you understand your options, read a referral letter, and speak up for yourself at appointments. They have been through the system themselves. They are not clinicians and do not treat anything.
I'm 30. Am I still eligible?
Yes, 30 is included. If you turn 31 partway through, we see it through with you.
Can a parent or guardian attend with me?
Sessions are one-on-one, so you can speak freely. If you want a parent or someone else in the room, say so when you book or when you arrive, and we arrange it.
Not sure which program?
Call 555-555-5555, weekdays 10 am to 6 pm, Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm.
Describe what's going on, and a peer supporter will suggest where to start. You can change your mind after the first session.
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