Armed Forces

Combat Stress – www.combatstress.org.uk Forces Online – www.forcesonline.org.uk Help for Heroes – www.helpforheroes.org.uk SSAFA – www.ssafa.org.uk/get-help/forceslineContact Armed Forces –

www.contactarmedforces.co.uk/we-can-help/i-have-served

Ambulance workers

www.nhsemployers.org/retention-and-staff-experience/ ambulance-workforce/head-first

Counsellors and Psychotherapists

The  Therapist  Hub  has  details  of  groups  for  therapists: www.partnersforcounsellingandpsychotherapy.co.uk/the-therapist-hub.

Construction Workers

www.constructionindustryhelpline.com/app.html

Doctors

Doctors Support Network – www.dsn.org.uk/support-for-doctors Doctors – www.practitionerhealth.nhs.uk

Education workers

www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/toolkit/staff-mental-health-in-education

Emergency Service Workers

www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/campaigns/blue-light-support

Finance and Accounts Workers

www.caba.org.uk

Football

www.thefa.com/about-football-association/heads-up

Football writers

www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/toolkit/

mental-health-some-pointers-for-football-writers

Frontline Workers

www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/toolkit/ourfrontline-socialcare

Healthcare Professionals

www.aomrc.org.uk/covid-19-mentalwellbeing/#1465858640552- 4ee2b70e-5fbe

Health for Health Professionals Wales – www.hhpwales.co.uk NHS Practitioner Support – resolution.nhs.uk/services/ practitioner-performance-advice/advice/support-for-practitioners

Legal Professionals

Law Care – www.lawcare.org.uk/information-and-support Wellbeing at the Bar – www.wellbeingatthebar.org.uk/staying-well

Police

Oscar Kilo – oscarkilo.org.uk/category/resources/looking-after-yourself/ Police Care –

www.policecare.org.uk/get-help/people/emotional/counselling Welfare Support Line –

www.pfoa.co.uk/support/welfare-support-programme

Veterinary workers

Vet Life – www.vetlife.org.uk/how-we-help/vetlife-health-support Vet Mind Matters – www.vetmindmatters.org

www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/publications/helping-you-help-others

(There are a huge number of these, so if you don’t see one specific to you, do a search online, as I was not able to include them all here.)

Abuse

Adult survivors of abuse/neglect in Scottish care settings – future-pathways.co.uk/

Narcissistic Abuse, the Echo Society – www.theechosociety.org.uk/counselling-serviceWoman’s Trust (Domestic Abuse) – womanstrust.org.uk/?fbclid=IwAR02n- 8rtBmtWEfMn0U wd5_JISiIf0tePtzPEjyu0b1p16TzfGQt3da9o

Addiction

Get Connected – www.getconnected.org.uk/about-us/

Drugs – www.talktofrank.com/get-help/find-support-near-you

Anxiety

No Panic – nopanic.org.uk/telephone-support-services/

Autism

Action for Aspergers – www.actionforaspergers.org/asperger-counselling/

BAME

Aashna – www.aashna.uk/

Aashna is a service that offers long-term therapy to ‘individuals diverse in culture, social background religion sexuality, age, gender, disability and other diversity, who struggle to access culturally sensitive therapy’.

Black African and Asian Therapy Network – www.baatn.org.uk/Find-a-Therapist

Black Health Initiative – www.blackhealthinitiative.org/counselling Chinese Mental Health Association –

www.cmha.org.uk/our-services-/counselling

Bereavement

Child Bereavement UK – www.childbereavementuk.org/booked-telephone-supportSurvivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) UK – uksobs.org/we-can-help/e-mail/

Children and Young People

Childline – www.childline.org.uk/get-support/1-2-1-counsellor-chat/ Place2Be, mental health support for children in schools – http://www.place2be. org.uk/our-services/services-for-schools/mental-health-support-in-schools/ Youth Access –

www.youthaccess.org.uk/services/find-your-local-service

Depression in New Fathers

depressioninnewdads.com/book-a-consultation/

Eating Disorders

National Centre for Eating disorders booking.eating-disorders.org.uk/ counsellors/search

Beat – helpfinder.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/

Farmers and Rural Communities

Counselling for farmers – www.counsellingforfarmers.com Countryside Counselling – countrysidecounselling.org.uk

DPJ Foundation (Wales) – www.thedpjfoundation.co.uk/contact-us/ Strong Heart – www.strong-heart.co.uk

Farsi Speakers

Farsi Speakers Counselling Service (NHS Barnet) – www.farsophone.org.uk/index.php/en/?jjj=1600632420649

Islamic Community

Institute of Islamic Counselling and Wellbeing – islamiccounselling.info/our-counsellors/

Jewish Community

Jami – jamiuk.org/get-support/what-we-do/online-support/

Location-Specific

Turn2Me (Ireland) – turn2me.ie/page/our-storyThe Maytree Centre (London) – www.maytree.org.uk Anxious Minds (Newcastle and Tyneside) – www.anxiousminds.co.uk/talking-therapies-newcastle/

Refugees

Refugee Therapy Centre – refugeetherapy.org.uk

Post-Natal Depression

PANDAS Foundation – pandasfoundation.org.uk

Pregnancy

Pregnancy Crisis Care – www.pregnancycrisiscare.org.uk/about-us.php

Self Injury

Self Injury Support – www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk/our-support-services

Sexual Abuse and Rape

Male rape and sexual abuse – www.survivorsuk.org/young-people/counselling/

Safeline – www.safeline.org.uk/what-we-do/counselling-therapy/ Rape Crisis – rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/want-to-talk/

Rape Crisis Scotland – www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/ about-local-rape-crisis-centres/

Sexual Offenders and Potential Sexual Offenders

StopSO – stopso.org.uk

Anna Freud Centre

www.annafreud.org/on-my-mind/self-care/

A really useful and interactive page of resources geared towards young people.

CCI, Centre for Clinical Interventions

www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself

Another website used often by therapists to give self-help and psychoe- ducation information to clients.

Esther Perel

estherperel.com/blog/how-to-find-the-right-therapist-for-you

Every Mind Matters

www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters

Get Self-Help

www.getselfhelp.co.uk/about.htm

A favourite of many CBT therapists, this website was set up and is man- aged by CBT therapist Carol Vivyan.

Local Libraries

www.gov.uk/local-library-services

Local libraries have self-help books available as well as information about local groups that you can join.

MIND

www.mindcharity.co.uk/advice-information/

how-to-look-after-your-mental-health/online-resources/

Distraction Apps

www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/how-can-i-distract-myself/ videos-websites-and-apps/

Mindfulness

The Free Mindfulness Project – www.freemindfulness.org

Lots of free mindfulness exercises to download for free, plus mindfulness apps and a discussion forum.

NHS

www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/self-help-therapieswww.nhs.uk/conditions

NHS  leaflets  about  different  mental  health  conditions  – web.ntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp

Overcoming

overcoming.co.uk/709/Overcoming-Apps

Self-assessment, self-help and apps from the respected ‘Overcoming’ series.

Psychology Tools

www.psychologytools.com

A very handy resource for therapists and clients for information about different issues we can have with our mental health and info sheets on how to manage.

SAMH, Scottish Association for Mental Health

www.samh.org.uk/about-mental-health/self-help-and-wellbeing

This page of self-help resources has a questionnaire you can answer to get your ‘wellbeing score’.

Self-Help Services

www.selfhelpservices.org.uk/about-us

A user-led charity providing lots of self-help resources.

Students Against Depression

www.studentsagainstdepression.org/self-help

Trauma

istss.org/public-resources/trauma-basics

The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) has some helpful info on trauma and PTSD.

The Wellness Society

thewellnesssociety.org/about

Aims to bridge the gap between private therapy and waiting for NHS services by providing self-help tools and information.

MENTAL HEALTH APPS

ACT Coach – mobile.va.gov/app/act-coach

Developed by the US Department of Veterans Affairs, this app is a good introduction to the principles of the ACT approach.

Action for Happiness – www.actionforhappiness.org/app

Babylon – www.babylonhealth.com/download-app

Speak to a doctor about any health issue.

Beat Panic – www.nhs.uk/apps-library/beat-panic Be Mindful – www.bemindfulonline.com

BiaMother – biamother.com

App for new mothers.

Buddhify – buddhify.com

A mindfulness meditation app with lots of different options for different age groups.

CALM App – www.calm.com

A longstanding mindfulness app.

CBT Thought Diary App – www.cbtthoughtdiary.com Catch It – www.nhs.uk/apps-library/catch-it

Chill Panda – www.nhs.uk/apps-library/chill-panda COVE – www.cove-app.com

Daylio – daylio.net

A daily journal and mood tracker app.

Fear Tools – www.feartools.com

An app based around CBT principles for reducing fear and anxiety.

Free Mindfulness Apps – www.freemindfulness.org/apps

Happify – www.happify.com

An app that gives you a ‘happiness score’ and lets you plot your moods and thoughts and work towards changing habits and patterns that are not working for you any more.

Headspace – www.headspace.com/

The original mindfulness and mediation app that has been around since 2010.

Insight Timer App – insighttimer.com

An app that has a large amount of different types of meditations for you to try to help with stress, sleep problems and anxiety.

MIND

List of apps for wellbeing: www.mindcharity.co.uk/ advice-information/how-to-look-after-your-mental-health/

apps-for-wellbeing-and-mental-health/

MoodFit – www.getmoodfit.com

A well-set-out all-round app.

Moodflow – www.moodflow.co

An app that tracks your mood and gives you a clear visual on what certain periods of the year have been like for you and which days were worse or better.

MoodMission – moodmission.com

An app whose founders have carried out peer-reviewed research and a randomized controlled trial into the app’s effectiveness.

NHS Recommended Apps – www.nhs.uk/oneyou/apps/

Overcoming – overcoming.co.uk/709/App

The ‘Overcoming’ range has apps for anxiety, depression and self-esteem.

Samaritans Self-Help App – selfhelp.samaritans.org

Sleepio – onboarding.sleepio.com/sleepio/nhs/77#1/1

A respected sleep app.

Shine – www.theshineapp.com/get-started

An app for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour.

Stressheads – www.themix.org.uk/apps-and-tools/stressheads

An app for young people by The Mix.

Thrive (NHS) – www.nhs.uk/apps-library/thrive TOMO – hellotomo.co.uk

Worry Tree – www.nhs.uk/apps-library/worrytree

WYSA – www.wysa.io

For teenagers.

COMMUNITIES: ONLINE AND OFFLINE

ONLINE

Abuse

Adults survivors of child abuse: www.havoca.org/resources/forumwww.isurvive.org/forum pandys.org

nexusni.org

Anxiety

Anxious Minds – www.anxiousminds.co.uk – has an online community and Facebook group that you can join wherever you are in the UK. DARE – dareresponse.com/community/ – set up by Barry McDonagh, author of the book DARE. The website has links to his book, App, and a Facebook community.

Triumph Over Phobia – www.topuk.org/top-uk-groups

Autism, Aspergers and Neurodiversity:

wrongplanet.net/forums/ www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/community

Bipolar

Bipolar UK – www.bipolaruk.org/ecommunity

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

www.bddandme.co.uk

Brain InjuryHeadway – www.headway.org.uk/supporting-you/online-communities

Children and Young People

Childline – www.childline.org.uk/get-support/message-boards/ Kooth – kooth.com

The Mix – www.themix.org.uk/get-support/group-chat

Depression

depressionuk.org

Divorce

Support Group – divorcesupportgroup.co.uk/divorce-support-groups

Drugs

Families Anonymous – famanon.org.uk/meetings/online-meetings/

The Withdrawal Project – withdrawal.theinnercompass.org/page/ twp-connect

Eating Disorders

support.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/app/social/home/

Family and Relationships

Families Need Fathers –

fnf.org.uk/help-and-support-2/fnf-online-forum

Family Lives – www.familylives.org.uk/how-we-can-help/ forum-community/?_ga=2.51933609.1457503942.1600701834- 163298806.1600701834

Gambling

Gamblers Anonymous – www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk/forum GamCare – www.gamcare.org.uk/get-support/group-chatroom

General Help7 Cups – www.7cups.com Befrienders – www.befrienders.org

Mental Health Forum – www.mentalhealthforum.net/about-us Mindfulness – www.freemindfulness.org/discussion-forums

Therapy Friends – sidebyside.mind.org.uk/about (formerly ‘Elefriends’) and Therapyfriends.co.uk

Hearing Voices Network –

www.hearing-voices.org/hearing-voices-groups/

Hoarding

Help for Hoarders – www.helpforhoarders.co.uk/forum

Men

Mentell – www.mentell.org.uk

An online community for men 18+ to talk.

OCD

OCD Action – www.ocdaction.org.uk/support-groups OCD UK – www.ocduk.org/support-groups/

Peer Support Online

www.safelyheldspaces.org/about

Post-Natal Depression

pandasfoundation.org.uk/how-we-can-support-you/ social-media-and-facebook-groups/

Self Harm

Self Harm UK – www.selfharm.co.uk/alumina/signup

Spiritual

Spiritual Crisis Network –

www.meetup.com/Spiritual-Crisis-Network-Community-Forum/

Transgender

Beaumont Society–

www.beaumontsociety.org.uk/online-support-groups.html

Trauma

ACES Too High Online Community – www.acesconnection.com/

OFFLINE

Mens Sheds Association – menssheds.org.uk/about/#who-we-are MIND – Social Spaces – www.mindcharity.co.uk/social-spaces Park Run – www.parkrun.org.uk

Walking for health – www.walkingforhealth.org.uk/get-walking/why-walk/ healthy-minds

Wave – www.waveproject.co.uk/about-us

RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY

Questionnaires that you complete yourself (rather than ones that a therapist/ clinician would complete) are also called self-report measures. It takes time to develop a measure to ensure that it shows two main things: reliability and validity. Reliability is when the measure is shown to be assessing the same aspect or behaviour at different points in time – in other words, how consistent it is. Validity is ensured when it has been found to measure that particular aspect or behaviour, and not something else. Validity is further refined by assessing whether it appears to measure what it is meant to (face validity), is measuring that particular feature and nothing else (construct validity) and shows that it can predict the feature being measured (predic- tive). These areas are all important in giving you a final score that you can feel is actually measuring what it is meant to measure. There are lots of fun questionnaires available on the internet, but they may not be able to claim they have this validity and reliability, so you cannot always be sure the score is a true reflection of what the questionnaire is meant to be assessing. For example, a question on a measure about depression could ask, ‘Are you irritable and anxious a lot?’ This question might seem to be measur- ing a feeling when can have when we feel low or grumpy (face validity). However, feeling irritable and anxious are aspects of generalized anxiety and also some hyper-arousal states following traumatic experiences, so it wouldn’t be a question that would show construct validity for a question- naire that only wanted to assess depression. There would need to be more work to include something like that; perhaps a part of the measure would have space for more agitated aspects of depression. But I hope you can see that when you take a test or measure, the score that you receive at the end has to be meaningful. You have to have confidence that the test is measuring what it should be.

The next time you take one of those fun tests on social media, ask yourself: is this question measuring what it thinks it is measuring, or could there be another reason for this aspect or behaviour?

With all of this in mind I have tried to include links to measures that have been researched and show reliability and validity. The way that you can tell this for yourself is by checking the questionnaire or site for information about where the measure came from and/or who developed the measure. The page on the patient.info site that offers the PHQ9 is an excellent example here. Have a look here at the credits at the end of the questionnaire: patient.info/doctor/patient-health-questionnaire-phq-9.

CAN A QUESTIONNAIRE GIVE ME A DIAGNOSIS?

It is important to note that questionnaires such as the Anxiety and Depression test on the NHS website cannot give you a diagnosis or tell you why you are feeling the way that you do. However, if you do find that you are scoring in the moderate to severe range and this either continues for more than two weeks or is a repeating pattern for you, it would be important to contact your doctor and/or arrange an appointment with a therapist to talk through what is happening for you. Two people can both score in the severe range on the PHQ9 and the GAD7 for example, but one person may be struggling with the effects of trauma whilst another may be struggling with OCD. Both can be reasons for high scores on anxiety and significant difficulties with low mood.

LIST OF SELF-REPORT MEASURES

ACES (ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES) AND RESILIENCE SCORE

acestoohigh.com/got-your-ace-score

www.threerivers.gov.uk/egcl-page/adverse-childhood-experiences-aces

ANXIETY –NHS IAPT SELF-REPORT MEASURES

Generalised-anxiety-disorder-assessment

AUTISM AND ADHD/ADD

The ADDitude website has several self-tests for ASD, ADD and ADHD as well as other tests that may be relevant. It is a great site for information and support from a friendly and informal perspective.

Note: The self-tests on this site are for screening and information rather than to confirm a diagnosis.

www.additudemag.com/download/autism-in-adults/?src=test

Note: The self-tests on this site are for screening and information rather than to confirm a diagnosis.

COMPASSION AND CRITICISM

goodmedicine.org.uk/goodknowledge/compassion-criticism 

or Kristin Neff’s site here

Kristin Neff’s site

– 

DEPRESSION

NHS IAPT self-report measures

patient.info/doctor/patient-health-questionnaire-phq-9

EMOTIONS

Emotional intelligence test

Several different emotional intelligence tests

Emotion beliefs questionnaire

Questionnaire_EBQ_Copy_of_questionnaire_and_scoring_instructions

FINDING THE RIGHT THERAPIST FOR YOU

Esther Perel

GENERAL SELF-ASSESSMENT TESTS FOR ANXIETY, MOOD, SLEEP

Good Thinking, a digital mental health initiative for London, supported by the NHS

– www.good-thinking.uk/self-assessments

HEALTH ANXIETY

Dr James Hawkins’ site has a comprehensive list of this and many other tests. Take a look here.

goodmedicine.org.uk/stressedtozest/2008/12/ handouts-questionnaires-health-anxiety-disorder

HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSON SCALE (HSP)

Also called Sensory Processing Sensitivity, the HSP scale has been devel- oped by Elaine Aron, who has worked hard to ensure this construct is researched and shows validity and reliability. On Aron’s website there is a test for HSP in adults, as well as one for children, and a high-sensation- seeking test.

Highly sensitive person test

MIND PLAN QUIZ – YOUR MIND MATTERS

NEURODIVERSITY APP AND PROFILER

The app on this website gives you a ‘spiky profile’ result for neurodivergent aspects such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, ADD and ASD.

OCD – OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER

I am linking to Dr James Hawkins’s page again here, as he has added the OCI (Obsessive Compulsive Inventory) in MS Word form with the sub-scales tagged to help you. He also includes the shortened form of this measure. The OCD scales are underneath the Panic info on this page. goodmedicine.org.uk/goodknowledge/

panic-ocd-depersonalization-information-assessment

PANIC

goodmedicine.org.uk/goodknowledge/panic-ocd-depersonalization- information-assessment

PERSONALITY

The Big Five – bigfive-test.com openpsychometrics.org/tests/IPIP-BFFM/

POSTNATAL DEPRESSION

patient.info/news-and-features/quiz-do-i-have-postnatal-depression

SOCIAL ANXIETY

psychology-tools.com/test/spin goodmedicine.org.uk/goodknowledge/social-anxiety-information- assessment

TRAUMA AND PTSD

There’s some detailed info on Dr James Hawkins’s page that will signpost you to some really helpful information about trauma goodmedicine.org.uk/goodknowledge/

ptsd-assessment-images-memories-information

The two most used self-report measures in UK therapy services are the IES-R and the PCL-5.

PCL-5: This pdf is from Lancashire’s Traumatic Stress service. It

includes a scoring key to help you assess whether your score is mild/ moderate/severe in accordance with the criteria in the DSM5. www.lscft.nhs.uk/media/Publications/Traumatic-Stress-Service/newPCL5.pdf

IES-R: This questionnaire is in both Word and PDF format on the

GoodMedicine website (it is towards the bottom of the page), along with a scoring key. The IES-R has sub-scales for ‘avoidance’, ‘intrusions’, and ‘hyperarousal’ – all key parts of PTSD. goodmedicine.org.uk/goodknowledge/ptsd-assessment-images- memories-information

England:

www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-psychological-therapies-service/

Wales: nhswales.silvercloudhealth.com/signup/

www.wales.nhs.uk/healthtopics/conditions/mentalhealth phw.nhs.wales/topics/latest-information-on-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/ how-are-you-doing/how-are-you-feeling/how-to-access-support/

Northern Ireland: www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/mental-health-services Scotland:

clearyourhead.scot/support

www.samh.org.uk/find-help

Isle of Man:

www.gov.im/categories/caring-and-support/mental-health-service/ community-wellbeing-service/self-referral-form-for-counsellingtherapies/

Jersey: www.gov.je/Health/Mental/Pages/JerseyTalkingTherapies.aspxpatient.info/treatment-medication/self-referral/refer-yourself- for-nhs-talking-therapy-counselling

• 
  Self-defectiveness
  
• 
  Responsibility
  
• 
  Control and Choice
  
• 
  Safety and Vulnerability
  

Self-defectiveness
(there’s something wrong with me)

One of the things I’d like to point out about these core beliefs, and perhaps you have noticed this, is that the ones on the left are like absolute labels. Statements of fact and very all or nothing. This is because the brain likes to categorize, and usually these are developed in times of high emotion or when we are quite young – both of these are times when we will not be thinking in shades of grey or in abstract terms. As a result, we develop these quick ways to label ourselves, and they can be there for many years undetected and unchallenged.

Notice how the alternatives are less global labels, and more accepting of the shades of grey in a situation, and within us.

Do any of these core beliefs resonate with you at all? Did you notice a slight flinching or movement in your body, or did you look twice at one or two of them? Do you use any of these labels at all? It maybe that you have been using them without realizing the effect they can have on you. If you did identify with any of them, I want to let you know that you can re-evaluate them. This is where therapy can be helpful, in showing you how to change patterns like these, but the first step is to know what your patterns are and that it is possible to change.

The next time you find yourself rushing to negative labels that make you feel bad, such as ‘I’m just not good enough to do this’ or ‘I can’t cope’, pause and try your hardest to look for some shades of grey, don’t just believe the absolute label straight away.

Action for Aspergers – www.actionforaspergers.org/asperger-counselling

Anxiety UK – www.anxietyuk.org.uk/get-help/access-therapy/ Arbours Association – www.arboursassociation.org/psychotherapy/

Association of Jungian Analysts – www.jungiananalysts.org.uk/reduced-fee-scheme/

Beyond Barriers – www.beyondbarriers.uk/pricing Breathe UK – breathe-uk.com/counselling-services/ British Psychotherapy Foundation –

www.britishpsychotherapyfoundation.org.uk/therapy/ low-fee-intensive-therapy

Centre for Freudian Analysis & Research – cfar.org.uk/clinical-service/

CPPD UK Ltd – cppdlondon.com/low-cost-counselling/ CRUSE Bereavement care – www.cruse.org.uk/

Free Psychotherapy Network – freepsychotherapynetwork.com/ Gestalt Centre – gestaltcentre.org.uk/find-a-counsellor-or-therapist/

Guild of Psychotherapists – guildofpsychotherapists.org.uk/psychotherapy/ reduced-fee-clinic/#.X2eB2WjYpPZ

The Help Hub – www.thehelphub.co.uk/therapists/

IOPA – Institute of Psychoanalysis – psychoanalysis.org.uk/iopa-clinics/low-fee-scheme

LGBT Foundation – lgbt.foundation/talkingtherapies London Friend – londonfriend.org.uk/counselling/

Metanoia – www.metanoia.ac.uk/therapy/ metanoia-counselling-and-psychotherapy-service/

The  MIX  –  www.themix.org.uk/get-support/speak-to-our-team/ the-mix-counselling-service

The Philadelphia Association – www.philadelphia-association.com/therapy

The Psychosynthesis Trust – psychosynthesistrust.org.uk/counselling/ Re-Vision –

www.re-vision.org.uk/find-a-therapist/low-cost-counselling/

RELATE – www.relate.org.uk/find-your-nearest-relate

SAP – The Society of Analytical Psychology – www.thesap.org.uk/ about-sap/

Tavistock Institute – www.tavistockrelationships.org/relationship-help WPF Therapy – wpf.org.uk/need-to-talk/therapy-options/

CRISIS SUPPORT

If you are in the UK and are feeling suicidal right now, call 116123, or if you are under 19 call 0800 11 11.

If you are outside the UK click on these links for global and international helplines:

Suicide.org – International Suicide Hotlines

USA: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and https://988lifeline.org

WhatsApp – Global Suicide Hotline Resources

Your Life Counts

HELPLINES

Alcoholics Anonymous or Phone: 0800 9177 650

Alcohol Change UK (Drinkline)

Anxiety UK or Phone: 03444 775 774 or email: support@anxietyuk.org.uk

At a Loss (support for the bereaved)

Breathing Space, Scotland or Phone: 0800 83 85 87

Bullying UK

C.A.L.L. Mental health helpline for Wales

www.callhelpline.org.uk

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)

www.thecalmzone.net/help/get-help/ Call: 0800 585858

Childline

www.childline.org.uk Call: 0800 1111

CRUSE Bereavement care

www.cruse.org.uk Call: 0808 808 1677

Domestic Abuse

Mankind – www.mankind.org.uk Respect – mensadviceline.org.ukRefuge – www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk Call: 0808 2000 247

Drinkaware support services list

www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/support-services/alcohol-support-services

Emergency Service workers – PTSD999

www.ptsd999.org.uk/about/how-to-get-help

Call: 01223 755 130, email: support@ptsd999.org.uk or text: 07778 485 528

Family Lives (Previously Parentline)

www.familylives.org.uk/how-we-can-help/confidential-helpline

Family Rights Group

www.frg.org.uk

Farming Community Network

fcn.org.uk/help-health-issues/ or call: 03000 111 999

Galop (Helpline for LGBT+ people who have experienced hate crime or abuse) – www.galop.org.uk/how-we-can-help/

Call: 0800 999 5428 or email: help@galop.org.uk

GamCare (helpline for problem gambling)

www.gamcare.org.uk/get-support/talk-to-us-now Call: 0808 8020 133

LGBT Foundation

lgbt.foundation/coronavirus/wellbeing Call: 0345 3 30 30 30

LGBT Health Scotlandwww.lgbthealth.org.uk Call: 0300 123 2523

Marijuana Anonymous

www.marijuana-anonymous.org.uk Call: 0300 124 0373

MEIC (helpline service for children and young people up to the age of 25 in Wales)

www.meiccymru.org

Call: 0808 80 23456 or text: 84001

Mental Health Matters helplines

www.mhm.org.uk/helpline-webchat

Mermaids UK (support for trans and gender-diverse children and their families)

mermaidsuk.org.uk/about-us Call: 0808 801 0400

MIND

Crisis planning – www.mind.org.uk/information-support/ guides-to-support-and-services/crisis-services/

List of helplines – www.mind.org.uk/information-support/ guides-to-support-and-services/crisis-services/

helplines-listening-services/

Mindline Trans+

mindlinetrans.org.uk Call: 0300 330 5468

MindOut (online support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer people)

www.mindout.org.uk/get-support/mindout-online/

Muslim Youth Helpline

www.myh.org.uk/helpline

Call: 0808 808 2008 or live chat on website

Narcotics Anonymous

ukna.org

Call: 0300 999 1212

OCD Action

ocdaction.org.uk/i-need-support/helpline/ Call: 0845 390 6232

Papyrus (charity dedicated to preventing suicide of young people)

www.papyrus-uk.org/hopelineuk Call: 0800 068 4141

Panic

nopanic.org.uk/the-no-panic-helpline Call: 0300 772 9844

Rural Support (Northern Ireland)

www.ruralsupport.org.uk/how-we-can-help/helpline/ Call: 0800 138 1678

SAMARITANS

www.samaritans.org

Call: 116123 (in UK) or email: jo@samaritans.org

SANDS (helpline for anyone affected by the death of a baby)

www.sands.org.uk

Call: 0808 164 3332 or email: helpline@sands.org.uk

Saneline

www.sane.org.uk/what_we_do/support/

Self-Injury Support for women and girls

www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk

Call: 0808 800 8088 text: 07537 432444 or email: tessmail@selfinjury- support.org.uk

SHOUT – www.giveusashout.org Text SHOUT to 85258

The Silverline (for people over 55 years old)

www.thesilverline.org.uk/helpline Call: 0800 4 70 80 90

Support Line (a helpline and support service aimed at those who are isolated, at risk, vulnerable and victims of any form of abuse)

www.supportline.org.uk

Call: 01708 765200 or email: info@supportline.org.uk

Survivors of bereavement by suicide (SOBS)

uksobs.org

The Survivors Trust (for people who have suffered sexual abuse)

www.thesurvivorstrust.org Call: 0808 8 010818

Switchboard LGBT

switchboard.lgbt/about-us Call: 0300 330 0630

Winston’s Wish (support for grieving children)

www.winstonswish.org Call: 0808 8 020 021

Young Minds

youngminds.org.uk/find-help/get-urgent-help/ Text: YM to 85258 for crisis support

Your Life Counts (global support line)

yourlifecounts.org

SAFETY PLAN

After you have spoken with someone on the helpline, make your own safety/crisis plan to support you. There are some great templates on the following websites:

getselfhelp.co.uk/suicidal.htm

www.stayingsafe.net/home

Note to those supporting friends and family members who are feeling suicidal: you do not have to fix the problem. It is OK to let the person feel what they are feeling, even though it can be heart-breaking to see them struggling and you will want to take this feeling away from them. Let them talk. It is OK to just ‘be’ with them. Too often we feel so anxious about not being able to solve the problem that this makes it hard for us to be with someone when they are upset.

By unpacking a situation into these different elements, you can start to see the links between what happens and the stories or interpreta- tions that you might automatically jump to. This can then help you to target these areas in therapy in order to change what happens for you in future.

If you’d like to have a go at doing one of these for yourself, bring up the last time that something bothered or upset you. It doesn’t have to be something huge.

In the circle under No. 1 (Situation/Context), enter where you were or what was happening. Add anything that helps to set the context. As you think about this event or experience, notice if you are seeing an image of what happened. In No. 2 (Images, memories), put a word or phrase that sums up this image.

Notice what is happening in your body right now. Even if it is slight, can you detect anything? Maybe a gripping feeling in your gut, or a heat in your face, or the slightest of pains in your head. Bring the image back up into your awareness and notice any shifts or changes in your body. Put whatever you notice, even if it doesn’t make sense, into No. 4 (Somatic). What label would you use to describe how you feel about this event? Put this into No. 5 (Emotions). As you notice this feeling and the things that bothered you about this situation, what thoughts go through your mind? What is the main thing that upset you about this situation? Put these into No. 3 (Thoughts). What did you do? For example, ‘I went home’, ‘I said nothing but kept thinking about it’. Put what you did into No. 6 (Behaviours).

As you look at this, what do you think is the main story that you were telling yourself about this event? For example, ‘I always mess things up’, ‘I can’t trust anyone’ or ‘I can’t cope’. Don’t worry about not having the right words: just put whatever snippets come to mind. Have a look at your circle, notice all the different elements that make up your experience in that situation. There are others that we could add here – for example, consequences of what you did, features of the space you were in at the time, past experiences with key people in your life. But we have to start somewhere, and this is a good place to start. As you look at this circle, notice all the different elements that you have unpacked, and the way that one relates to the other. For example, a certain thought makes you feel a certain way. Or when you feel a certain feeling, you tend to ‘do’ (a behaviour) a certain thing. Notice the way that the situation led to you seeing it in a particular way.

What you can do is complete one of these circles each time you feel upset or bothered by something. You will then have a collection and can look for patterns. Are there some meanings or stories that seem to pop up frequently? Do you notice that certain emotions always give you a particular sensation in your body? What tend to be the go-to things that you do when you feel upset?

For example, you could discover that certain situations always have a tendency to make you worry you are not good enough, or when certain feelings come up for you and you feel criticized, you always tend to ruminate and find it hard to shake the feeling. A therapist could help you take this further to see what significant people or events in your life have influenced these core ways of viewing yourself, others and the world, and help you to shift and change your stories and interpretations.