Getting Mental Health
Support
How to access NHS mental health care, what to do while waiting, finding private therapy, digital and peer support, and your rights if detained under the Mental Health Act.
NHS mental health pathways
The NHS provides free mental health care. Here is how to access each route.
- Your GP — First point of contact for most mental health support. Can assess, refer, and prescribe. You can request a specific GP, ask for a longer appointment, and bring a written list of your symptoms. You don't need to minimise — describe your worst days.
- NHS Talking Therapies (England) — Self-referral available without a GP. Covers CBT, counselling, EMDR, and other approaches. Suitable for mild to moderate anxiety and depression. See below for detail.
- Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT) — Specialist multi-disciplinary support for complex or severe mental health needs. Requires GP referral. Teams include psychiatrists, psychologists, CPNs, and social workers.
- Crisis Resolution & Home Treatment Teams (CRHTTs) — Intensive support during acute crises — often as an alternative to hospital admission. Accessed via GP, NHS 111 (option 2), or A&E. Available 24/7 in most areas.
- CAMHS — Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services for under-18s. Referral via GP, school SENCO, or social care. Waiting times are long in most areas — ask about CAMHS waiting list support.
- Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) — Specialist teams for people experiencing psychosis for the first time. Early referral significantly improves outcomes. GP or self-referral in many areas.
- Perinatal Mental Health Teams — Specialist support during pregnancy and the first postnatal year. Ask your midwife, health visitor, or GP — you do not need to be severely unwell to access this.
- IAPT / Talking Therapies MPFT (Shropshire) — Self-refer directly at mpft.nhs.uk
While you wait — NHS waiting list guidance
NHS mental health waiting times can be 6–24 months for CMHT and specialist services. You should not be left without any support during this time. Here is what you can do now.
Do this now
- Self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies — shorter waits than CMHT for anxiety and depression
- Use Hub of Hope (hubofhope.co.uk) to find local peer support groups
- Access Kooth (11–25) or TogetherAll (16+) for online support now
- Ask your GP to add you to the Mental Health Support Team if your GP practice has one
- Request a mental health support worker from your GP while you wait
Keep a record
- Keep a mood diary — date, trigger, emotion, intensity (1–10), what helped
- Record any significant changes or crises and share with your GP
- If you deteriorate, this record supports your case for urgent review or escalation
- Note the date you were referred and follow up if you haven't heard within the stated timeframe
- You can ask your GP to write a supporting letter to expedite referral if your condition worsens
NHS Talking Therapies — self-referral guide
In England, you can refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies (formerly IAPT) without a GP referral. Available for adults 18+ experiencing mild to moderate anxiety or depression.
What is available
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — for anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, phobias
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) — for trauma and PTSD
- Counselling for depression
- Guided self-help — supported workbooks and digital programmes
- Group CBT — for anxiety and depression
How to refer yourself
- Search nhs.uk/talking-therapies for your local service
- Complete the online self-referral form — takes 10–15 minutes
- You will be contacted for an assessment appointment
- In Wales — referral is via your GP or primary care mental health team
- Shropshire: mpft.nhs.uk →
Finding private therapy
Private therapy offers faster access and more choice of approach. Here is how to find an accredited, trustworthy therapist.
Accreditation bodies — what to look for
- BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) — most common; search the BACP therapist directory
- UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy) — for psychotherapists; UKCP directory
- BPS (British Psychological Society) — for psychologists
- COSCA — for counsellors in Scotland
- Psychology Today finder — good UK search tool
What to ask before booking
- What is your training and accreditation?
- What experience do you have with [my specific issue]?
- What therapeutic approach do you use — and why?
- Do you have experience working with neurodivergent clients?
- Do you offer a sliding scale fee?
- What is your cancellation policy?
Digital & anonymous support
💯 Shout
24/7 crisis text support. Text SHOUT to 85258. Free, confidential, immediate.
giveusashout.org →🏘️ Kooth
Free, anonymous online counselling and peer support for ages 11–25. No waiting list.
kooth.com →🌐 TogetherAll
Clinician-moderated online mental health community for adults 16+. Anonymous and free.
togetherall.com →📍 Hub of Hope
National database of local and national mental health support. Search by postcode.
hubofhope.co.uk →💤 SilverCloud / Ieso
Online CBT-based programmes for anxiety and depression. Available via NHS referral in many areas.
NHS SilverCloud →📷 ELEFRIENDS / Side by Side
Mind's online peer support community. For anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
mind.org.uk →Peer support groups
Peer support — connecting with others who understand from lived experience — is one of the most effective and underused forms of mental health support. Evidence shows it can be as effective as professional interventions for many people.
- Hub of Hope — search by postcode for local groups covering any condition
- Andy's Man Club — men's peer support groups across the UK, weekly, free
- Bipolar UK groups — local peer support for bipolar disorder
- Rethink local groups — for severe mental illness and their carers
- Hafal (Wales) — peer support for mental illness in Wales
- OCD UK groups — OCD-specific peer support
- Social prescribing — ask your GP about a link worker who can connect you to local community groups
📑 Mental Health Act — rights if detained or sectioned
The Mental Health Act 1983 allows a person to be detained in hospital against their will if they have a mental health disorder and are considered a risk to themselves or others. Being sectioned is frightening — knowing your rights matters.
Common sections
- Section 2 — up to 28 days for assessment
- Section 3 — up to 6 months for treatment
- Section 136 — police power to take you to a place of safety (up to 24 hours)
- Section 5(2) — doctor's holding power (up to 72 hours)
Your rights
- The right to know why you are being detained
- The right to an Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) — free, ask immediately
- The right to appeal to a Mental Health Tribunal
- The right to have a named person informed
- The right to be treated with dignity and respect
- In Wales: additional rights under the Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010
Trauma-informed care — what it means
NAAVoices describes itself as trauma-informed — but what does that actually mean, and why does it matter for mental health support?
What trauma-informed care means
Trauma-informed care recognises that many people seeking mental health support have experienced trauma — and that standard approaches can inadvertently re-traumatise. It shifts the question from “What is wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”
The five principles
- Safety — physical and emotional safety is established first
- Trustworthiness — transparency and consistency in care
- Choice — people have options and control over their care
- Collaboration — power is shared; the person is an expert in their own experience
- Empowerment — strengths are recognised and built upon
How to find trauma-informed support
- Ask therapists directly: “Do you work in a trauma-informed way?”
- Look for EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, somatic therapies, or schema therapy
- Survivor-led organisations are often inherently trauma-informed
- Be cautious of any service that requires repeated retelling of traumatic events without clear therapeutic purpose
- You have the right to stop, slow down, or change your approach at any point
DA survivors & trauma
C-PTSD is extremely common after domestic abuse. Standard CBT may not be sufficient — EMDR and trauma-focused approaches are more evidence-based for this group.
DA therapy & recovery →📋 Safe messaging guidelines — for professionals, supporters & content creators
Safe messaging around suicide is evidence-based practice that reduces harm. If you are creating content, sharing information, or supporting someone, these principles apply.
✓ Do
- Provide crisis resources alongside any discussion of suicide
- Use language such as “died by suicide” rather than “committed suicide”
- Focus on help-seeking and recovery
- Describe mental health experiences without glorifying or sensationalising
- Be specific about the support available
✗ Avoid
- Describing methods of suicide or self-harm in any detail
- Presenting suicide as a solution or response to problems
- Sensationalising or romanticising self-harm
- Suggesting that professional help doesn't work
- Sharing graphic imagery
