Resources

• If you or someone else is in danger, call 999 or go to A&E now
• If you need urgent help for your mental health, get help from NHS 111 online or call 111
• Samaritans, 116 123 (24/7 helpline)
• Shout, Text 'SHOUT' to 85258 ( free, confidential and 24/7 mental health text service for crisis support)
• CALM, 0800 58 58 58 (suicide prevention helpline).
• Papyrus, 0800 068 41 41 (suicide prevention hopeline for young people)
• Suicide Prevention UK, 0800 689 5652 (suicide prevention helpline)
• The Listening Place, Face-to-face listening service for people who are feeling suicidal.
• Solidarity in a Crisis
  Available to adults (18+) living in Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark, the service provides non-judgemental, confidential support focused on listening, reassurance, empowerment, and signposting. It does not offer therapy or counselling, but instead delivers practical and emotional support.
  The freephone Crisis Line operates out of hours, Monday to Friday from 6pm to midnight, and weekends from 12pm to midnight. No referral is required. Individuals can call 0300 123 1922 if they are experiencing a crisis.
  The Community Referral Team offers short-term support (3–6 sessions), delivered virtually or in agreed public community spaces. Referrals must be made via professionals such as GPs, social workers, or care coordinators, with forms available via communitycrisis@certitude.london. The team provides the same listening-based, emotional and practical support as the Crisis Line.

• Hub of Hope, The Hub of Hope is the UK's leading mental health support database. It is provided by national mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma, and brings local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support and services together in one place for the first time.
• Mind, Free mental health support for people living in the UK.
  • For confidential telephone and email information, you can access South East London Mind's Mental Health Information Service here
• Sane, mental health charity aiming to raise awareness, improve services, provide emotional support and host research.
• Kooth, is a free, safe and anonymous online mental health and wellbeing service for young people (10-25 year olds). It offers access to self-help tools, live chat with qualified counsellors, peer-to-peer forums, and a wide range of articles and resources. Young people can log in at any time to get support with their mental health, emotional wellbeing, or everyday challenges.  
• Qwell is a free, safe and anonymous online mental health and wellbeing service for adults (18+). It provides access to self-help resources, community forums, and professional support through one-to-one text-based chats with qualified counsellors. Qwell is available 24/7, offering accessible support whenever it’s needed. It is available in all of South-East London + City & Hackney, Waltham Forest & Enfield.
• Mental Health Foundation: information & support
• Mental Health UK – Downloadable Resources
• Find your local NHS talking therapies service
• NHS Mental Health
• Step Forward - Free & confidential services for all young people aged 11-25, living in & around Tower Hamlets, East London

Low Cost Counselling Services in London

• Copleston Counselling, SE15 4AN
• Highbury Counselling Service, Se11 5RR
• Fountain Therapy Trust, KT3 3PZ
• HQ Therapy, E8
• Number 42, SE1 1XW
• Help Counselling Centre, W11 3DB
• The Minster Centre,  NW6 6RD
• The Wandsworth Association of Psychotherapists (WAP), South West London
• Brandon Centre, NW5 3LG (for under 25s).  
• The Women’s Consortium, N1 9PF
• Cassel Centre, N1 7SR
• Inner City Centre, London-wide
• The Albany Trust Centre, SW17 (sexuality & relationships)
• The Deborah Ubbe Trust, SE10 8JS
• St. Marylebone Healing & Counselling Centre, NW1 5LT
• The Awareness Centre, Offices in Tooting, Clapham & Marylebone.
• Relate, Relationship Counselling from local centres, check site for details. 
• Tavistock Relationships, EC2M 4TP (Couples & Relationship therapy)
• NAFSIYAT Intercultural Therapy,  N4 3JP
• EACH Counselling, W7 3UG
• The Centre for Better Health, E9 6QH
• 10 Windsor Walk, SE5 8BB
• The Maya Centre, counselling centre offering free mental health and well-being services to women with low income

Charities offering mental health support

• Humankind – Humankind is a leading charity that helps people struggling with alcohol and substance misuse across London by providing accessible support and help to end their dependency.
• Women and Girls Network – A free, women-only service that supports women in London who have experienced violence, or are at risk of violence.
• Survivors UK – A national charity supporting men who have been raped or sexually assaulted.
• The Survivors Trust – A free information and support service for those who have experienced childhood sexual abuse, sexual violence and rape.
• James' Place, EC1Y 8LP, James’ Place works with men aged 18+ across London who are experiencing a suicidal crisis. The service offers free and immediate in-person therapy support in a warm, welcoming and non-judgemental space. Treatment usually lasts for around six to eight sessions and aims to get to the heart of a man’s crisis quickly. We work with men to create a safety plan and offer techniques to help understand and deal with their crisis. The men who come to James’ Place are encountering some form of life event as a trigger, and are not usually open to secondary mental-health services or have a pre-existing mental health diagnosis or addiction present. Men can refer themselves or be referred by a concerned third party or a health professional.

Training Centres that may be able to provide low cost counselling and psychotherapy by students under supervision

• Guild of Psychotherapists, SE1 0QA
• Psychosynthesis & Education Trust, SE1 2TH
• Institute of Family Therapy, NW1 2HX
• Metanoia's Counselling and Psychotherapy Service, W5 3XD

• Psychology Today
• Counselling Directory 
• The BACP 
• UKCP
• Black & Asian Therapists Network – BAATN provides training, resources and information, and an online directory of qualified therapists experienced in working with immigrant population including African, Caribbean and Asian clients.
• At a Loss – At a Loss is the UK’s national bereavement signposting website. You can easily find bereavement support services appropriate to your loss and wherever you live in one place, along with practical information, helpful resources and helplines. They also host Grief Chat- a free web chat service if you would like advice or to ‘talk’. Their service is offered free to anyone bereaved – whatever their age, gender or cultural background – and anyone supporting bereaved people.

National Charities

• British Red Cross, UK's largest independent provider of services and support for refugees and people seeking asylum
• Migrant Help, Get help with applying for accommodation and financial support, find dedicated caseworkers and translators.
• Right to Remain, Free step-by-step guide to UK asylum and immigration system to help you better understand the legal process.
• Refugee Council, support and advice to refugees and asylum seekers
• The Bike Project, collect secondhand bikes, refurbish them, and donate them to refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK.
• Freedom From Torture, provides therapeutic care for survivors of torture who seek protection in the UK
• Refugee Action, provides advice and support to refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and campaigns for a fairer asylum system.
• Refugees at Home, charity which connects those with a spare room in their home to refugees and people seeking asylum who are in need of somewhere to stay
• HostNation, charity finding local friends for asylum seekers and refugees in London, Greater Manchester and Tyne & Wear
• Care 4 Calais, deliver emergency aid to refugees in Calais and areas affected by the European migrant crisis.
• Jesuit Refugee Service, seeks to accompany, serve, and advocate the cause of refugees and other forcibly displaced people
• Check out the Kings College London directory for a detailed list of mental health and psychosocial organisations
• Know Your Rights, resource from the Migrants Rights Network
• Welcome to Lambeth: a guide for individuals seeking asylum.  
• University of East London - Directory of Services & Organisations for Refugees, Asylum Seekers & Migrants

London Charities

• Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers, charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers in South London with free advice and a range of holistic services.
• South London Refugee Association, specialist advice and support so that migrants in South West London can access justice, safety and opportunities.
• West London Welcome, community centre run for and with refugees, migrants, people seeking asylum, and other locals. 
• Hestia, Hestia provides domestic abuse support services in London and the south east, including domestic abuse refuges and community-based support.
• Young Roots, charity working with young refugees and asylum seekers aged 11-25
• Paiwand, Afghan Association Paiwand Ltd provides a range of refugee support services in North West London. 
• Lewisham Refugee Migrant Network, migrants' rights charity in south London – advocating and supporting those most vulnerable. 
• New Citizens Gateway, support for refugees and asylum seekers across London & beyond.
• Action for Refugees in Lewisham,  supporting asylum seekers, vulnerable migrants and refugees in south east London. 
• Community Action for Refugees & Asylum Seekers,  refugee charity in South West London.
• Imece Women's Centre, Working to support Turkish, Kurdish, Cypriot Turkish & BAMER women to improve the quality of their lives free from all forms of violence and discrimination.
• Kurdish and Middle Eastern Women's Organisation
• Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organization, works to enable the development, agency, and participation of Latin Americans and other Spanish and Portuguese speakers
• Latin American Women's Aid, runs the only refuges in Europe and in the UK by and for Latin American women and children fleeing gender-based violence.
• Latin American Women's Rights Service, offers free and confidential services for all Latin American women in the UK.
• Middle Eastern Women and Society Organisation, Supporting Middle Eastern, N. African & Asian women in London.
• Refugee & Migrant Justice, supports vulnerable migrants to access justice and that provides vital support in moments of individual crisis.
• Breaking Barriers, supporting refugees into meaningful employment with advice, experience and education. 
• Notre Dame Refugee Centre, Immigration Advice, practical support and warm welcome to refugees and asylum seekers.
• Rainbow Migration,  practical and emotional support for LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum to help improve their confidence and self-esteem and reduce isolation.
• Micro Rainbow, housing, opportunities and advocacy for LGBTQI asylum seekers
• Wimbledon Guild - free counselling service for refugees and asylum seekers in Merton

• People with a disability or long-term health condition
• People with mental health conditions or neurodivergence
• Carers and former carers
• People experiencing or at risk of homelessness
• Ex-offenders or people serving community sentences
• Veterans, reservists, and partners of Armed Forces personnel
• People with drug or alcohol dependency history
• Care leavers or care-experienced young people
• Refugees, including Afghan and Ukrainian resettlement participants
• Survivors of domestic abuse
• Young people at risk of serious violence or exploitation
• Victims of modern slavery or trafficking

• Be of working age (usually 18+)
• Have the right to work in the UK
• Be unemployed, economically inactive, or at risk of losing employment
• Not already be on another Department for Work and Pensions employment programme
• Need personalised employment support to move into or stay in work