I need some help but don’t know where to go? …. Will it cost me?

If you want to talk to someone about a particular problem, charities offering a free service are worth looking at.

There are excellent charities throughout the UK and are highly aware of providing help for the community they serve.

Many are run by volunteers including qualified as well as trainee counsellors and therapists.

I believe that therapists in training and registered under an accredited body as a trainee can be just as helpful.

What they lack in experience they make up for in enthusiasm, and that can make all the difference.

Benefits

Charities provide an extremely important service in the area of supporting minority groups.

Advantages

• Free or discounted counselling and therapy sessions.
• Most charities offer specialist services. This allows them to have an expertise on the subject.

Disadvantages

• There may be a waiting list.
• Most provide a free service, but you might be required to make a small contribution to counseling fees if you are able, or be invited to make a donation.

‘Heads Together’ Charity
‘Mind’ Charity
Charity Choice
Specialist Support (All UK based)

Since its launch in May 2016, the campaign ‘Heads Together’ has had a huge influence in getting the country talking about mental health.

As patrons of Heads Together, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate along with Prince Harry have dedicated themselves to reducing the stigma around mental health.

The Royal Family have openly discussed how seeking professional services can make a world of difference when it comes to mental health challenges.

www.headstogether.org.uk

Mind offers extensive information on everything that concerns mental health care.

They provide help and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.

There are over 100 local Mind Centres around the UK that deliver excellent services to anyone who needs them. These include online support, crisis helplines and counselling in most areas.

www.mind.org.uk

Charity Choice is an extensive and useful list of UK based charities.

www.charitychoice.co.uk

If you have a specific problem, charities running specialist services are worth looking at.

Addiction Therapy
Bereavement Counselling
Specialist Support for Ethnic Diversity
Family Therapy
LGBT Groups (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender)
Male Suicide Prevention Counselling
Mental Health & Debt Counselling
War Veterans Therapy
Young Peoples Therapy

Action on Addiction provides community recovery, residential treatment, family support and professional education.

http://www.actiononaddiction.org.uk

Addaction provides friendly and expert advice to adults and young people aged 10-17 who are experiencing problems related to their own or someone else’s drug or alcohol use. They offer telephone support, counselling, group work and cognitive behavioural therapy.

https://www.addaction.org.uk
http://www.youngaddaction.org.uk

Cruse Bereavement Care is the UK leading national charity for bereaved people. They offer support, advice and information when someone dies and work to enhance society’s care of bereaved people. Cruse provides national and local services.

Face-to-face, Email and Website support: www.cruse.org.uk
Cruse for children and young people: www.hopeagain.org.uk
Cruse Freephone Helpline: 0808 808 1677

Child Bereavement UK supports families and educates professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement. Every year they train over 4000 professionals, helping them to better understand and meet the needs of grieving families.

Freephone Helpline: 0800 02 888 40
Email: support@childbereavementuk.org
Website: www.childbereavementuk.org

This charity exists to meet the needs and break the isolation of those bereaved by the suicide of a close relative or friend.

Telephone: 0300 111 5065 (9am to 9pm daily)
Website: www.uksobs.org

BHI Counselling Service provides a free and confidential counselling to African, African Caribbean, Dual Heritage and other minority ethnic adults and young people aged 13yrs onwards.  Their qualified counsellors /psychotherapists have expertise in dealing with culturally related issues.

http://www.blackhealthinitiative.org/

CMHA provide a diverse range of services with the aim of serving Chinese people who suffer from mental health related issues and problems. We also provide support for their carers whom may not be familiar with all the nuances of traditional Chinese culture.

http://www.cmha.org.uk 

Farsophone Counselling Service is piloted in partnership with NHS Barnet at Edgware Community Hospital. It is designed to offer an integrative counselling and psychotherapy service to Farsi(Persian) speaking individuals, families, couples, children and young people.

http://www.farsophone.org.uk

Jami helps clients manage their physical and mental health, enabling them to become an expert in their own self-care, and being supported where appropriate, If you would like to self-refer or speak to them about someone you are concerned about, please call us on 020 8458 2223.

http://www.jamiuk.org

The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families has delivered mental health care for over 60 years.

http://www.annafreud.org

Best Beginnings work closely with parents, leading healthcare professionals, other charities and the Department of Health. They create innovative evidence-based resources, including their free multi-award-winning Baby Buddy App.

https://www.bestbeginnings.org.uk/

Pregnancy Crisis Care offers free, confidential counselling services to mothers and fathers to be, who need some help.

http://www.pregnancycrisiscare.org.uk

Restored Lives offer help and support for people thinking about divorce, which can be an incredibly difficult and overwhelming experience.

https://www.restoredlives.org/recovery-from-divorce-and-separation-course

LGBT Foundation is a national charity delivering advice, support and information services. You can phone the helpline on 0345 3 30 30 30 or email them at helpline@lgbt.foundation.

http://lgbt.foundation

Switchboard provides information, support and referral services for lesbians, gay men and bisexual and trans people – and anyone considering issues around their sexuality and/or gender identity. You can call the helpline 0300 330 0630 or email chris@switchboard.lgbt

https://switchboard.lgbt

LGBT Health & Wellbeing offer a variety of services in Scotland designed to promote positive mental health and wellbeing, including counselling, workshops, groups and individual mental health support sessions. You can call the helpline on 0300 123 2523.

http://www.lgbthealth.org.uk

 

CALM, The Campaign Against Living Miserably is an award-winning charity dedicated to preventing male suicide.

https://www.thecalmzone.net

To learn more about male suicide prevention, please read about The Lion Barbers Collective.

Citizens Advice provides a free, confidential debt advice service. Their staff get specialist training on helping clients with mental health problems. If you disclose mental health problems early, it will help advisors to help you.

Contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

As well as a full debt help service, StepChange provides extra support to those with mental health issues. They help with completing forms or with benefits checks. It’s important to let their counsellors know about your condition, so you can get additional support.

Tel: 0800 138 1111

http://www.debtsupporttrust.org.uk/
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/d/debt
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/money-and-mental-health/
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/family/2016/03/martin-lewis-launches-new-money–mental-health-policy-institute

Contact Armed Forces is a collaboration of military charities working alongside the NHS and the MOD. The aim of the group is to help members of the Armed Forces community access mental health and wellbeing support.

www.contactarmedforces.co.uk

Place2be provides counselling for children in around 280 schools across the UK.

https://www.place2be.org.uk

The Mix supports young people under 25 years old with mental health problems. It offers email and telephone counseling, including a helpline.

http://www.themix.org.uk

YoungMinds champions and promotes the wellbeing and mental health of young people.

https://youngminds.org.uk

Online counselling is not advised for anyone who may be at regular risk, such as if they are suicidal. If you need immediate assistance or if you are in immediate crisis, here are some crises help-lines that hopefully will help

Samaritans: 116 123

Mental Health Matters: 0800 107 0160

Alcoholics Anonymous: 0845 769 755 / AA: 0800 9177 650

Domestic Abuse: 0808 1689 111

Cruse [Bereavement crises]: 0808 808 1677

For any person under the age of 18 years old, below is a crisis help-line that hopefully will help.

Childline: 0800 1111

Email counselling is not advised for people who can struggle with reading and writing comprehension, due to literacy levels or learning difficulties.