San Francisco, California
Anxiety and Depression in San Francisco: Evaluation and Local Help
High-functioning anxiety gets missed because the work still gets done; what goes missing is the sleep, the appetite and the evenings lost to rehearsing tomorrow.
By Canybec Sulayman, PMHNP-BC Updated October 2026
Most new patients are seen within days
- Where
- California telehealth; San Francisco office by appointment
- Self-pay
- $450 evaluation · $150 follow-ups
- Insurance
- We check benefits before the visit
- Who
- Ages 10 and older
What I check
- Sleep and appetite
- Thyroid
- Caffeine and alcohol
- Medications for something else
I'm Canybec Sulayman, PMHNP-BC, MBA; I spent nineteen years watching ICU patients compensate right up until they couldn't, and anxious people compensate the same way — the output holds while the cost climbs. Functioning isn't the same as fine.
San Francisco anxiety and depression guide
Where to find help in San Francisco
The stretch between deciding to get help and the first appointment is where people tend to go it alone. The California Peer-Run Warm Line is based in San Francisco, and local peer groups meet by topic, from OCD to hearing voices. Use them while you wait for care, and keep using them after it starts. Everything below is public or nonprofit; I checked each one on its own website in October 2026.
- If tonight is hard If it isn't a crisis, call or text the California Peer-Run Warm Line; it's open weekdays for now. If it is a crisis, call or text 988, or the city's crisis line at 628-217-7000.
- Find a group NAMI San Francisco runs free peer groups and classes on Zoom. The Mental Health Association of SF runs groups by topic, and DBSA San Francisco meets online for depression and bipolar disorder.
- For an evaluation Before I decide what it is, I look at what it's doing to sleep and appetite, and at what else could be driving it: thyroid, caffeine, alcohol, medications you take for something else. If it's still anxiety or depression after that, I know what I'm treating. Request an evaluation
- If you're a new parent, a veteran, an LGBTQ+ young person or over 60 Each has its own line or program; they're listed below.
San Francisco resources
Checked October 2026 on each organization's own website. Details can change; confirm with them directly.
Peer lines and support groups
- California Peer-Run Warm Line 855-600-9276
Call or text a peer when you're struggling but not in crisis. Weekdays only for now: Monday to Wednesday and Friday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
For: Anyone in California
- NAMI San Francisco
Free peer-led support groups and classes on Zoom, for people living with a mental health condition and for their families. Register on the page.
For: Adults 18 and over, and family members
- Mental Health Association of San Francisco 415-421-2926
Peer support groups for depression, anxiety, OCD and hearing voices, plus groups for queer peers. Office line weekdays 9 to 5.
For: California residents
- DBSA San Francisco
Online peer groups for depression and bipolar disorder, with separate groups for family and friends, LGBTQ+ members and people of color.
For: People with depression or bipolar disorder, and the people close to them
New parents, veterans, LGBTQ+ youth and older adults
- National Maternal Mental Health Hotline 1-833-852-6262
Call or text counselors any hour during pregnancy or after a baby arrives, in English or Spanish, with interpreters for other languages.
For: Pregnant and new parents, and their families
- Postpartum Support International HelpLine 1-800-944-4773
Leave a message and a trained volunteer calls or texts back with support and local resources. It isn't a crisis line.
For: Expecting and new parents
- Kindezi Black Perinatal Wellness (RAMS)
Pregnancy and postpartum support with mental wellness care. Contact by email through the program page.
For: Black expectant and new parents in San Francisco
- San Francisco VA Medical Center: mental health 415-750-2073
Outpatient, inpatient and telehealth mental health care at 4150 Clement St. Veterans may qualify even if they haven't enrolled in VA health care.
For: Veterans
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- San Francisco Vet Center 415-441-5051
Free, confidential counseling outside a medical setting, including for PTSD and military sexual trauma. 850 Battery St; weekdays 8 to 4:30.
For: Veterans, service members and their families
- Veterans Crisis Line 988
Dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255, any hour. You don't need to be enrolled in VA care.
For: Veterans, service members and the people who support them
- The Trevor Project 1-866-488-7386
Free, confidential crisis counseling any hour by phone, text or chat. You can also text START to 678-678.
For: LGBTQ+ young people
- Institute on Aging Friendship Line 888-670-1360
Emotional support any hour, including in a crisis, plus regular check-in calls. Separate lines in Cantonese and Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog and other languages.
For: Adults 60 and over, adults with disabilities, and caregivers in California
- SF Disability and Aging Services: Benefits and Resources Hub 415-355-6700
Information and referrals for older adults, people with disabilities, veterans and caregivers. Walk in at 2 Gough St, weekdays 8 to 5.
When alcohol or drugs are part of it
Alcohol can quiet anxiety tonight and feed it tomorrow. Tell your prescriber what you use.
- San Francisco Behavioral Health Access Line: substance use 888-246-3333
Assessment and referral to treatment any hour. Press 1 for same-day telehealth for opioid use disorder medication, 8 a.m. to midnight. Free naloxone at the 1380 Howard St pharmacy.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, San Francisco and Marin 415-674-1821
Talk with a sober A.A. member any hour, and find in-person and online meetings.
- San Francisco Al-Anon 415-834-9940
Free weekly meetings for family and friends of people who drink, plus Alateen for teens. Leave a message and a volunteer calls back.
- SMART Recovery
Free, science-based mutual support meetings for addiction, in San Francisco and online.
For: Adults
In a crisis
If someone may hurt themselves or someone else, call 911.
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 988
Call, text or chat any time for free, confidential support, including for alcohol or drug concerns.
- San Francisco crisis line (Department of Public Health) 628-217-7000
Call any hour for a mental health or substance use crisis.
- San Francisco Suicide Prevention 415-781-0500
A 24-hour crisis line answered by trained volunteers. You can also text CRISIS to 415-200-2920.
- Dore Urgent Care 415-553-3100
Urgent mental health or substance use help at 52 Dore St, open 24 hours, for when you don't need an emergency room.
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- Psychiatric Emergency Services, Zuckerberg San Francisco General 628-206-8125
Psychiatric emergency care around the clock at 1001 Potrero Ave.
- Teen Line 800-852-8336
Teens talk with trained teen listeners, 6 to 10 p.m.; text TEEN to 839863, 6 to 9 p.m. At other hours, adult counselors answer.
For: Young people up to 19
Ask what the anxiety is costing, not whether you're still coping.
Written by Canybec Sulayman, PMHNP-BC. Resources checked October 2026.Seeing me for anxiety or depression
- Where
- California telehealth from anywhere in the state, or a limited in-person visit at 220 Montgomery St Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94104 by appointment.
- First visit
- 75-minute evaluation, $450 self-pay.
- Follow-ups
- 30 minutes, $150 self-pay.
- Insurance
- Send your plan with the request and we check benefits before the visit. A benefits check doesn't guarantee coverage or your final cost.
Insurance plans we verify before scheduling
Plans we can check
- Aetna
- Anthem Blue Cross
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- UnitedHealthcare / Optum / Oxford
- Medicare
- Oscar Health
- Providence Health Plan
- Cigna / Evernorth
- Carelon Behavioral Health (California only)
- Curative (Canybec Sulayman, AZ & CA)
Self-pay: Canybec Sulayman $450 initial; Sharon Hernandez $350 initial (California only). Follow-up visits $150.
Network participation varies by clinician, state, and specific plan or product. Our team checks your exact benefits before an evaluation is confirmed. A listed plan does not establish in-network status; benefits verification does not guarantee coverage or your final cost.
Insurance & costQuestions from San Francisco
Are there free anxiety or depression support groups in San Francisco?
NAMI San Francisco runs free peer-led groups and classes on Zoom. The Mental Health Association of San Francisco runs peer groups by topic, including depression, anxiety and OCD (415-421-2926), and DBSA San Francisco runs online groups for depression and bipolar disorder.
Is there someone to talk to when it isn't a crisis?
The California Peer-Run Warm Line, 855-600-9276, takes calls and texts from anyone in California. It's open weekdays for now: Monday to Wednesday and Friday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. On weekends, or in a crisis, call or text 988.
Where can new parents in San Francisco get help for postpartum depression or anxiety?
The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, 1-833-852-6262 (1-833-TLC-MAMA), answers calls and texts at any hour. Postpartum Support International's helpline, 1-800-944-4773, returns messages with support and resources; it isn't a crisis line. RAMS runs Kindezi for Black expectant and new parents in San Francisco.
Where do veterans in San Francisco get mental health care?
The San Francisco VA Medical Center at 4150 Clement St offers mental health care (415-750-2073), and the San Francisco Vet Center offers free, confidential counseling (415-441-5051). In a crisis, dial 988 and press 1.
Show 1 more question
What does an evaluation with you cost?
Self-pay is $450 for a 75-minute evaluation and $150 for 30-minute follow-ups. With insurance, your cost depends on your plan; we check benefits first, and a benefits check doesn't guarantee coverage.
San Francisco office
220 Montgomery St Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94104
Hours:By appointment
Request an evaluation About the San Francisco officeReady to get started in San Francisco?
Appointment availability varies. Contact us to confirm fit, insurance, and visit format.
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