This page contains information on where to access mental health support, self help, counselling and projects where you can talk to people about the issues you are experiencing.
Most mental health services are accessible only through referrals from a GP. If you feel uneasy about accessing services through your GP, then the following information and telephone helplines should be able to assist in you finding the appropriate service. Contact numbers can be found in local Council's Directory of Community Care Services and also Directory of self-help and support groups. MESMAC North East has an excellent counselling service which can be accessed for FREE if you are a male over the age of 16 who identifies as being gay, bisexual or questioning and who lives in Newcastle, North and South of Tyne. Full information on our counselling service can be found HERE!
Self Help Guides
Self Help Guides produced by Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.
Titles cover a range of mental health issues including Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Controlling Anger, Obsessions & Compulsions, Post Traumatic Stress, Sleeping Problems and much more. Guides available to download, audio versions, also available in print.
Website: www.ntw.nhs.uk
Services & Counselling (Local & National)
North East Together
The regional network for people with lived experience of mental health conditions recently launched a new North East Anti-Stigma Steering Group focusing on the impact of stigma and discrimination. The aim of the group is to support and share best practice in anti-stigma activities happening across the region and co-ordinate events both within localities and regionally with particular attention to World Mental Health Day, Carers Week and other well publicised occasions. They hope that all organisations with a commitment to challenging mental health stigma and discrimination and promoting positive attitudes to wellbeing and inclusion will be represented in this important work.
Please contact Mish Loraine, Regional Co-ordinator at North East together if you would like to be involved in this group.
Email:
Call:: 07902 403630
Pride in Mind
A social and support group for LGBT people with mental health problems living in the North East of England. The group is run by workers from North East Together, Launchpad and North Tyneside Mental Health User Forum. Meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month from 11am to 1pm at MESMAC. Meetings are a safe space for people to talk and receive support and also plan social events such as meals out and trips to the cinema etc. For more information contact Mish Loraine.
Call: 07902 403630
Email:
Launchpad
Launchpad is Newcastle based and is run for and by service users, to assist in a whole host of ways, so that people get the right information, get to the right support for them, get heard and feel empowered, plus get to do interesting things in the process. Whatever you want, whatever you need as a service user, Launchpad will try and help.
Email:
Website: www.launchpadncl.org.uk
Call: 0191 2330382
Back On Track
Back on Track North East – a LGBT social enterprise covering the north east with bases in Newcastle, Durham and Sunderland. It is run by LGBT people for LGBT people. The service offers person-centred individual support, information, advocacy and counselling.
Call: 07711 819899
Email:
Website: www.backontrackne.org.uk
If U Care Share
If U Care Share Foundation are a charity promoting emotional well being in young people & supporting families affected by suicide.
Website: www.ifucareshare.co.uk
Call: 0191 387 5661
Newcastle Psychological Services
Newcastle Psychological Services aim to help residents of Newcastle who may be experiencing mental health difficulties. They have a diverse and friendly team consisting of Clinical Psychologists, Counsellors and Primary Care Mental Health Practitioners.
Website: www.newcastlehealthyminds.nhs.uk
Talking Helps Newcastle
Talking Helps Newcastle is the NHS talking therapy service for Newcastle residents, delivered by a partnership of Insight Healthcare; Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; and Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust. The partners have been providing a range of services for some time, but are now working together as one from 1st of April 2016.
Website: www.talkinghelpsnewcastle.org
Mind Psychological Therapies
Anybody who finds their thoughts, feeling or moods difficult to cope with shouldn't need to struggle on.
Mind are here to make sure everyone is in the frame of mind to enjoy life and cope with its challenges.
Everyone who goes to Mind take a different path through their difficulties. They don't tell anyone how they should feel. Mind believe everyone is unique. Mind are interested in you as a person, how you feel and what's happening to you.
Psychological Therapies can work for people who experience:
- Anxiety and worry
- Depression and low moods
- Health anxiety
- Obsessions and compulsions
- Panic
- Phobias
- Social anxiety
- Stress
- Trauma
Who the service is for
Mind can work with people who are aged 16 and over and are registered with a Middlesbrough or Redcar and Cleveland GP. They offer different times and venues throughout the area.
You can contact Mind yourself, or your GP can refer you. When you first call, there's no pressure to use the service. They'll tell you about psychological therapies, answer your questions and explain what happens next.
Tyneside Mind
Email –
Website – www.tynesidemind.org.uk
Call: 0191 477 4545
Teesside Mind
Call: 01642 257025 (for local services)
Email:
Call in: The Mind Centre, Lothian Road, Middlesbrough TS4 2QX.
Website: www.middlesbroughandstocktonmind.org.uk
Washington Mind (A Life Worth Living Training)
Email:
Call: 0191 417 8043
Mind National
National Website: www.mind.org.uk
Call: 0845 7660 163 (National)
Some One Cares
Committed to easing the trauma and isolation of abuse since 1989. You do not have to face this alone. Specialists in child sexual abuse, rape and sexual violence. Targeted counselling services for :
- Men and women
- Young people aged 11+
- Family members – of both abused and abuser.
Some One Cares DO NOT work with known abusers. Confidential, weekly sessions with a trained counsellor. Counselling with Someone Cares is FREE and they work following BACP ethics and guidelines.
Bases at North Shields and Newcastle. Online counselling is also available where appropriate. The service puts YOUR needs first and you are assured a warm and respectful welcome.
Offices at:1 Amble Close, North Shields, Tyne and Wear. NE29 7XW.
The Carnegie Building, Benwell, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. NE4 8XS.
Call:0191 2578094
Email: Website: www.someonecares.org.uk
WEYES
WEYES One to One counselling service focuses on young people aged 13-25. All their counsellors are qualified and trained in a variety of counselling techniques which means they can help young people through a variety of ways including creative media, exposure work and challenging behaviours.
The service supports young people through a variety of issues that are affecting their lives and stopping them reaching their potential. This includes depression and low mood, self harming and loss and bereavement.
WEYES unique service is able to offer up to 20 sessions, where the local average is 6 sessions, with regular review points. The 1-2-1 sessions are delivered city wide enabling the counsellors to take their work to the young people, either at school, college or through other community venues.
To find our more you can drop in to the WEYES Project or contact them.
Call: 0191 273 3997
Website: www.children-ne.org.uk/counselling-children-and-young-people/
Streetwise
(Online Counselling for Young People)
Thanks to Comic Relief funding Streetwise now offer online counselling. This is in addition to the face to face community based Counselling service they currently provide. This service is for young people aged 11-25 , across the North East. Its specifically geared for young people who cannot otherwise access the service i.e. young people living in rural areas and young people who simply cannot access Newcastle and to whom Online is therefore appropriate. Online Counselling is available evenings, at times most appropriate for young people. Online Counselling is secure (encrypted ) and can be offered by using Chat (Instant Messaging), email or Skype. If you want to find out more and think this new development may be beneficial to you or any of the young people you work with, please get in touch.
Call: 0191 2305 400.
Albert Kennedy Trust Outpost
Call: 0191 2810 099 (LGBT Youth Services)
Website: www.akt.org.uk
LGBT Northeast at DISC
Email:
Website: www.disc-vol.org.uk
Call: 01325 731 160
Reach
Call: 0191 2219 222 (Rape, Examination, Advise, Counselling & Help)
Website: www.reachsarc.org.uk
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS
Mental Health Matters Helpline offer free emotional support over the telephone. They can offer guidance, information, advice or signposting where appropriate. All of the Telephone Support Workers that work on the helpline have counselling training and offer support from 5pm-9am, 24 hours weekends & Bank Holidays.
Call: 0191 516 3500
Email:
Website: www.mhm.org.uk
WHAC – Women's Health Advice Centre
WHAC is a registered charity and is supported by a number of funding partners to provide high quality services that are predominantly free to the user.
They provide women, men and young people (age 14+) in Northumberland with high quality counselling, personal development, education and information on issues contributing to their general health and wellbeing.
WHAC offer a range of services both independently and in partnership with other organisations.
These include: Counselling: Need someone to listen? WHAC offer a confidential counselling service by women, for women and adolescent girls 14+.
1 Council Road, Ashington, Northumberland. NE63 8RZ
Website: www.whac-online.co.uk
Call: 01670 853977
IMPACT NORTHEAST
A local project working for the good of local people.
Offering: LGBT counselling, events, family support, groups, training and youth work.Also working with Sunderland Pride to offer support groups.
The Co-Op Centre, Whitehouse Road, Sunderland. SR2 8A.
Call: 0191 511 1393
Email:
website: http://impactnortheast.co.uk
Cruse
Call: 0844 4779 400 (Bereavement Service)
Website: www.cruse.org.uk
Relate Northumberland and Tyneside
Relate Provides services to LGBT people. Support for Relationships.
Help with Sex matters. Support for Young People. Support for Families
Call: 0191-232-9109
Email:
Website: www.relate-nt.org.uk
Samaritans
Call: 116 123 (24 hour support Service)
Website: www.samaritans.org
Childline
Call: 0800 11 11 (for young people)
Website: www.childline.org.uk
CALM
The male suicide prevention charity, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) have launched a free web-chat service offering support, information and signposting to men who are depressed or in crisis. Suicide is the leading killer of men aged 20-49 in the UK, and has overtaken coronary heart disease as a killer in older men aged up to 50. The latest statistics show that 77% of all suicides in the UK were male. Open every day between 5pm – midnight, users within the UK will be able to chat anonymously and confidentially to trained helpline staff. The web-chat can be accessed on the CALM website.
Website: www.thecalmzone.net/get-help
Call: 0800 585858
The Mental Health Foundation
The Mental Health Foundation are committed to reducing the suffering caused by mental ill health and to help everyone lead mentally healthier lives.They help people to survive, recover from and prevent mental health problems. They do this by: carrying out research, developing practical solutions for better mental health services, campaigning to reduce stigma and discrimination, promoting better mental health for us all. The Mental Health Foundation work across all age ranges and all aspects of mental health. They are the charity for everyone's mental wellbeing. If you're interested in the work they do to fight stigma and raise awareness of mental health issues, sign up to receive email updates about our research, reports, free downloads and fundraising etc on their website: www.mentalhealth.org.uk
Some useful counselling websites
Pink Therapy: www.pinktherapy.com
British Psychological Society: www.bps.org.uk
UK Council for Psychotherapy: www.psychotherapy.org.uk
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy: www.bacp.co.uk
Counselling Directory
A confidential service that encourages those in distress to seek help. The directory contains information on many different types of distress, as well as articles, news, and events.
To ensure the professionalism of the website, all counsellors have provided qualifications and insurance cover or proof of membership with a professional body. A leading support network in the UK
www.counselling-directory.or
PACE
PACE is the LGBT+ mental charity, which has been providing support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community for 30 years.
They have recently released the RaRE Research Report at a conference held at the King's Fund in London. This report presents and discusses the findings from their five-year study about the mental health risk and resilience factors for LGB&T people, covering the issues of suicide, self-harm, alcohol misuse and body image.
It is their intention that the findings from the RaRE Research get widely profiled and discussed in order to improve policy and practice around treatment of LGB&T people in the NHS.
You can view the report by clicking on this link: http://owl.li/M06Vm
Website: www.pacehealth.org.uk
