Cairns said it saw a surge in demand for its services after the closure of fellow charity Mental Health Aberdeen (MHA).
It resulted in it cutting the number of free sessions it offered to people by half – from 20 to 10 – because so many had been added to its waiting list.
Esslemont said: “One of the difficult decisions that we have had to make is to actually close our referrals to ensure we weren’t holding people on the waiting list for too long when we realised that potentially we might not be able to continue delivering the service.”
Aberdeen Health and Social Care Partnership said it was saddened by the closure of Cairns’ premises.
A spokesperson: “We recognise that a range of mental health advice and counselling services remains available in Aberdeen.
“Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership carefully considers how best to support the local population, ensuring people are clearly signposted to the most appropriate service.”