Useful helplines and websites
Support if you need it now
Last reviewed: July 2026
The services listed here may be helpful alongside psychotherapy. At times, medical help, urgent mental health support, specialist advice or practical assistance may also be needed.
The information and links on this page do not replace assessment or support from an appropriate medical, psychiatric, emergency, safeguarding, legal or crisis service.
Presenting Past Psychotherapy is an outpatient psychotherapy practice rather than an emergency or on-call service. Messages and enquiries are not monitored continuously and may not be seen or answered immediately.
If you need urgent support now (UK)
Mental health emergencies are serious. You are not wasting anyone’s time.
If you need help now, feel unable to stay safe, or are worried about someone else’s immediate safety, please use one of the options below.
You do not need to be certain that your situation constitutes a mental health crisis before asking for urgent help.
If you cannot do this by yourself, ask someone to help you.
Immediate danger
Call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger, has been seriously harmed, or needs urgent emergency assistance.
Go to your nearest Accident and Emergency department if you need urgent in-person medical or mental health assessment and it is safe for you to travel there.
Urgent health and mental health advice
NHS 111
Call 111 or use the NHS 111 sservice if you need urgent medical or mental health advice but the situation is not an immediate emergency.
In England, if you need urgent help for your mental health, call 111 and select the mental health option.
Someone to talk to, day or night
Call 116 123 for free, at any time.
Samaritans provides confidential emotional support. You do not need to be suicidal to call. It may help if you need someone to listen, particularly when things feel intense, unmanageable or lonely.
Mental health support
These organisations offer information, emotional support, and, in some cases, guidance about further help.
Mental health support and information.
Information and support for people severely affected by mental illness and for family members, friends and carers.
A national out-of-hours mental health helpline offering specialist emotional support, guidance and information to people affected by mental illness.
Practical help
Practical pressures such as housing, debt, or benefits concerns can have a real impact on mental health.
Free information and advice on matters including benefits, work, debt and money, consumer issues, housing, family matters, law and courts, immigration and health.
Information and advice about homelessness, tenancy difficulties and other housing problems.
National Debtline — 0808 808 4000
Free, independent and confidential advice for people experiencing debt problems.
Support by topic
Expand a section below to find organisations and information relevant to particular circumstances.
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Support relating to traumatic experiences, domestic abuse, sexual violence, childhood abuse, exploitation and personal safety.
Rape Crisis England & Wales — 24/7 Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Line (16+) — 0808 500 2222
The Survivors Trust (helpline)— 0808 801 0818(text 07860 022 956)
National Domestic Abuse Helpline (Refuge, 24/7) — 0808 2000 247
Men’s Advice Line (male victims of domestic abuse)— 0808 801 0327
The Freedom Programme (domestic abuse education programme)— 01942 262 270
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Specialist information and support relating to substance use, eating difficulties and gambling-related harm.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) – GB helpline — 0800 917 7650
Narcotics Anonymous (UK) – helpline — 0300 999 1212 — (meeting info + support)
Gamblers Anonymous (England, Wales & Ulster – information line) — 0330 094 0322
WithYou (formerly Addaction) – free, confidential support — (webchat + find local service)
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Emotional and practical support relating to bereavement, serious illness, caring responsibilities and end-of-life concerns.
Macmillan Cancer Support (Support Line) — 0808 808 00 00
Cruse Bereavement Support (helpline) — 0808 808 1677
National AIDS Trust (general enquiries) — 020 7814 6767
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Support for children, adolescents, parents, carers and families.
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Information, advocacy and support relating to autism, ADHD and other forms of neurodivergence.
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Information and specialist support for people affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder and related difficulties.
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Mental health, social and practical support for older people and those who care for them.
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Specialist legal, practical and psychological support for refugees, asylum seekers and people affected by displacement or persecution.
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Mental health, welfare and practical support for serving personnel, veterans and their families.
Combat Stress (24/7 mental health helpline for veterans and families)— 0800 138 1619 —
(Text 07537 173683 • Email helpline@combatstress.org.uk.)
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Support and information relating to anxiety, panic attacks, depression and persistent low mood.
NHS: Low mood / sadness / depression (advice + when to seek help)
NHS: Anxiety, fear or panic (practical tips + when to get help)
NHS Berkshire Talking Therapies (self-referral)
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Call 999 or go to A&E if there are severe physical symptoms, loss of consciousness, dangerous behaviour, marked confusion, or an immediate risk of harm to self or others.
For urgent mental health support where there is no immediate danger, call NHS 111 and select the mental health option.
For non-urgent support following a psychedelic or altered-state experience—whether it felt confusing, unsettling or emotionally intense, or meaningful, positive and important to understand more fully—I offer psychotherapy for experiences that have already occurred, including integration and meaning-making where appropriate.
I do not provide psychedelic-assisted therapy, preparation for planned use, dosing advice, facilitation, sourcing, access to substances or trip-sitting.
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Directories and reliable health-information services may help you understand the available options and locate appropriate local or specialist support.
mentalhealthcare.org.uk (plain-English mental health info + signposting)
BBC Action Line (directory of support organisations; see “More Support”)
If your situation is not urgent
If your situation is not urgent and psychotherapy may be useful, you are welcome to explore the rest of the website.
You do not need to be in crisis for your difficulties to matter or for support to be appropriate.
If you need help now, feel unable to remain safe, or are concerned about someone else’s immediate safety, please use the urgent-support options above rather than waiting for a response from a psychotherapy practice.
Individual psychotherapy
For anxiety, overwhelm, shutdown, self-criticism, trauma, dissociation and recurring relational patterns.
Getting started
Information about the initial consultation, assessment and how we might decide whether working together would be appropriate.
Contact
For non-urgent psychotherapy enquiries or to arrange a free 20-minute consultation.
The contact form is not monitored continuously and should not be used to request urgent or emergency assistance.