Support beyond this page
Seeking professional help
There is more than one kind of professional support, and they are not ranked. What follows is what each one actually offers, so you can judge which door fits what you are dealing with. This is general information, not a recommendation about your own care.
A simple way to choose: start with your GP if you are not sure what you need, think of talking therapy when you want space to work through something over weeks, a psychiatrist when medication or a diagnosis is the question, and a helpline or crisis service when today feels unsafe. Many people use more than one at the same time, and it is fine to begin somewhere and change course later.
By visiting this app, you are already taking a positive step. Well done.
Understanding the pattern
Clinical psychologist
A psychologist looks at how your history, thoughts, body and circumstances fit together, then builds a plan with you. They work with more complex or long-standing difficulties and often use several therapy approaches rather than one fixed programme.
How people reach it. Usually through an NHS referral from your GP or a community mental health team, or privately.
Ongoing specialist support
Community mental health team
A team of nurses, social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists for people whose difficulties are significant or long-lasting. They offer regular contact, medication review, and help with work, housing and daily life.
How people reach it. Reached through a GP or crisis service referral. Support is usually reviewed regularly.
A regular space to talk
Counsellor or psychotherapist
Someone who listens without judging while you work through what is on your mind. Counselling tends to focus on a specific difficulty over weeks or months; psychotherapy usually goes deeper and for longer, looking at patterns that started earlier in life.
How people reach it. Available privately, through charities, or at reduced cost in training clinics. Accredited registers list practitioners and their specialisms, so you can check training and experience.
For right now
Crisis and helpline services
Immediate human support when things feel unsafe or unmanageable. Helplines offer someone to talk to at any hour. Crisis teams and 111 can connect you to urgent NHS help, and 999 or A&E is for immediate danger.
How people reach it. You can contact a helpline yourself at any time. NHS 111 selects the mental health option for urgent advice in many areas.
Free, structured therapy
NHS talking therapies
Short courses of talking therapy, usually cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), for anxiety and low mood. You work with a trained practitioner on practical changes, often weekly for six to twelve sessions, in person, by phone or online.
How people reach it. You can refer yourself in most of England without seeing a GP first. It is free, and waiting times vary by area.
A medical specialist
Psychiatrist
A doctor who specialises in mental health. They can make a formal diagnosis, review medication and its side effects, and coordinate care when several services are involved. They rarely do the weekly talking therapy themselves.
How people reach it. Usually by referral from your GP or another mental health professional. Private appointments are also available.
Shared experience
Support groups and peer support
Groups where people with similar experiences talk openly, in person or online. They are not therapy, but many people find them the place where they stop feeling like the only one, and pick up practical ideas from people further along.
How people reach it. Run by charities, NHS services and local organisations. Some are drop-in, others ask you to register first.
Built into where you are
Work, college and university support
Employee assistance programmes usually include free, confidential counselling sessions. Universities and colleges offer counselling, disability and study support, and adjustments such as extensions or altered hours.
How people reach it. Ask HR, your manager, student services or your tutor. These services are independent of your GP and often quicker to reach.
Usually the first step
Your GP
A GP can listen to what is going on, rule out physical causes, talk through medication, refer you to specialist services, and give you a fit note if you need time off. Appointments are short, so it helps to decide your two or three main points beforehand, or take a few notes in with you.
How people reach it. Book through your surgery. You can ask for a longer appointment, for a GP with an interest in mental health, or to be seen by someone you feel comfortable with.
Choosing between them
- Start where the door is easiest. A GP, a self-referral to talking therapies, or a workplace service all count as a real first step.
- Match the support to the need. Short structured therapy suits specific anxiety or low mood; open-ended counselling suits something you need space to understand; a psychiatrist is for diagnosis and medication.
- It is normal to try more than one. If a therapist is not the right fit after a few sessions, saying so and changing is part of finding what works, not a failure.
If today is heavy
Waiting for an appointment is not the same as waiting to be safe. If you are thinking about hurting yourself, contact Samaritans free on 116 123, any hour of any day. If you are in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E.
Availability and referral routes differ by country and change over time, so confirm the details locally. If you are unsure which service applies to you, ask your GP.