Support
Urgent and specialist support
Collective Counselling provides non-clinical counselling and life coaching. We are not an emergency or crisis service, and we do not provide diagnosis, medical treatment, crisis intervention or specialist mental-health care.
If you or someone you know needs more urgent or specialised support than we can provide, the services below may help.
If there is immediate danger
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, cannot stay safe, has seriously harmed themselves, has taken an overdose, or may harm another person:
In the UK, call 999 or 112, or go to your nearest A and E department.
Both 999 and 112 connect to the UK emergency services. Read UK government guidance about calling 999 or 112 (opens in a new tab).
Outside the UK, call the emergency number for the country you are currently in, or go to the nearest emergency department. If you are not in the UK, call the emergency number for the country where you are physically located.
Please do not wait for a reply from Collective Counselling. Our messages, emails and enquiry forms are not monitored as an emergency service.
Urgent mental-health support in the UK
If you need urgent mental-health support but there is not an immediate danger to life, use the appropriate service for where you are located.
England
Call NHS 111 and select the mental-health option. You may be connected with a trained mental-health professional who can assess what support is needed.
Get urgent mental-health help through the NHS (opens in a new tab)
Scotland
Call NHS 24 on 111 and choose the mental-health option if you are feeling distressed, in despair, suicidal or in need of urgent emotional support.
Visit NHS Inform for urgent mental-health help (opens in a new tab)
Wales
Call NHS 111 and press 2 for urgent mental-health support. The service is available to people of all ages, 24 hours a day.
Northern Ireland
Call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000. Lifeline provides crisis support for people experiencing distress or despair, as well as people worried about someone else.
You can also contact your GP and ask for an urgent appointment. If you are already receiving support from a mental-health team, contact that team or follow the emergency information in your care plan.
Someone to talk to now
These services provide immediate emotional or crisis support. You do not need to be an existing patient or have a diagnosis to contact them.
Samaritans
Call 116 123 free of charge, at any time of the day or night.
Samaritans provides confidential listening support for anyone who is struggling to cope, experiencing emotional distress or having thoughts of suicide.
Shout
Text SHOUT to 85258. The keyword to send is SHOUT.
Shout is a free, confidential, 24-hour text-support service for people in the UK who are struggling to cope and would prefer to communicate by text.
PAPYRUS HopeLine 24/7
Call 0300 102 2470 or text HOPE to 88247. The keyword to send is HOPE.
HopeLine 24/7 provides suicide-prevention support for people under 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide. It can also support people who are worried about a young person.
Text and email responses may take longer, so call 999 if there is immediate danger.
Childline
Call 0800 1111.
Childline provides free and confidential support for children and young people under 19. Support is also available through online chat and secure messages.
Finding specialist mental-health care
Some experiences or difficulties may require assessment or treatment from a GP, psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, specialist mental-health team or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
A GP can discuss what you are experiencing and help you find or access an appropriate NHS or specialist service.
NHS mental-health services
The NHS provides information about accessing mental-health services, treatments, assessments and urgent help. Some services require a GP referral, while others may accept self-referrals.
Find NHS mental-health services (opens in a new tab)
Learn how to access mental-health services (opens in a new tab)
Hub of Hope
Hub of Hope is a searchable UK mental-health support directory. It includes NHS, charity, community, peer-support and private services. You can search by location and the type of support you need.
Mind
Mind provides information about mental-health conditions, treatment, medication, rights and available support.
Mind's Support Line can also help you understand your options and find specialist support. Call 0300 102 1234, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, excluding bank holidays. This is not an emergency service.
Visit Mind's helplines and support page (opens in a new tab)
Rethink Mental Illness
Rethink Mental Illness provides advice about mental illness, NHS services, medication, mental-health law, carers' rights and accessing appropriate care.
Call the Advice and Information Service on 0808 801 0525, Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 4pm, excluding bank holidays. This is not a crisis line.
Visit the Rethink Advice and Information Service (opens in a new tab)
Support outside the UK
Emergency numbers and crisis services vary between countries. If there is immediate danger, contact the emergency services in the country where you are currently located.
Find A Helpline
Find A Helpline provides a searchable directory of verified crisis and emotional-support services in more than 175 countries. You can search by country, the type of support needed and whether you would prefer support by phone, text or online chat.
Befrienders Worldwide
Befrienders Worldwide provides a directory of emotional-support and suicide-prevention centres in countries around the world.
United States
Call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call 911 if there is immediate danger.
Visit the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline website (opens in a new tab)
Canada
Call or text 988 for suicide-crisis and emotional support. Call 911 if there is immediate danger.
Visit Canada's 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline (opens in a new tab)
Australia
Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis support. You can also text 0477 13 11 14 or use Lifeline's online chat service. Call 000 if there is immediate danger.
New Zealand
Call or text 1737 at any time to speak with a trained counsellor or peer-support worker. Call 111 if there is immediate danger.
Republic of Ireland
Call Samaritans on 116 123 for confidential listening support at any time. Call 112 or 999, or go to an emergency department, if there is immediate danger.
View urgent mental-health support from Ireland's HSE (opens in a new tab)
About these resources
Collective Counselling does not operate, endorse or control the organisations listed on this page. Availability, eligibility requirements, opening hours and contact details may change.
This information was last reviewed on 23 July 2026. Please check each organisation's official website for its most recent information.
This page is provided for signposting purposes and is not a substitute for emergency assistance, medical advice, diagnosis or specialist mental-health care.
If you are not in crisis and would like to talk with us about ongoing, non-urgent support, you can read about our counselling and life coaching or get in touch.