Living the fast-paced and high-pressure Londoner’s life can be difficult. There may be times when the lows feel more frequent than the highs, leaving you feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure about your current path.
While it’s perfectly normal to experience life’s ups and downs, ongoing struggles with your thoughts, emotions, or behaviours can start to affect your well-being and overall quality of life.
The good news? London is home to a wide range of mental health services and experienced professionals who are equipped to support the city’s diverse population. With the right help at the right time, things can start to feel more manageable.
This article highlights the 5 ways you can seek professional help for your mental health issues in London.
1. NHS Mental Health Services
A great place to start is with your primary care physician. When you are ill, your local general practitioner, or GP, is the first person you should contact. They can help you with your mental health in addition to your physical health. Once your doctor has made a diagnosis, they will probably recommend that you seek mental health support from an appropriate specialist or the NHS.
Alternatively, you can also seek services without talking to a GP. This is known as self-referral for NHS Talk Therapies, also known as Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT).
What to Expect:
Under the NHS mental health services, you will have access to various types of mental health care. From counselling to talking therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), you can access mental health support free of charge. The NHS also provides psychiatric support, medication and community mental health teams (CMHTs) depending on the severity of the condition and the required scope of care.
Pros and Cons:
You can obtain free access to mental health services through the NHS network. The only disadvantages are the lengthy wait times and limited session availability.
2. Private Therapy and Counselling
If you’re looking for more personalised and private mental health care, private therapy or private counselling in London can be the solution. You’ll find many psychiatrists, psychotherapists, counsellors, hypnotherapists and schema therapists practising in and around London.
Private therapy provides therapeutic options that fall both within and beyond the scope of the NHS. If you don’t know where to look, a quick search on online directories such as BACP, UKCP, Psychology Today, and Harley Therapy will list out the practising therapists and therapies.
For example, if you’re looking for hypnotherapy services in London, you can connect with a private hypnotherapist for in-person consultations or online sessions.
Pros and Cons
In London, you could end up paying anything from £50-£150 per private therapy session, which is on the high side. However, in return, you receive a private and confidential space with a therapist’s personalised attention to your problems and needs.
Therapists offer consultations on a flexible, but appointment-only basis, catering to in-person as well as online sessions. More importantly, private therapy allows you to choose from a wider base of therapists.
Some costs can be covered by your insurer, while some employee support programmes can cover the cost of counselling.
3. Online Therapy
The rise of digitally accessible care has also given rise to online therapeutic options. Popular online therapy and digital mental health services platforms include BetterHelp, Talkspace, and UK-based My Therapist Online. These websites and applications offer free and paid subscriptions, giving you remote access to professional mental health care no matter where you live.
Additionally, you can also access NHS-approved mental health care apps to access on the web or download on your phone. These include Sleepio (sleep therapy), SilverCloud (CBT), Calm and Headspace (meditation).
Pros and Cons
Online therapy modes are highly accessible with a smartphone or laptop and a stable internet connection. These services are also affordable, with most service providers offering trials before paid subscriptions. They also allow you to be flexible with your sessions, whether you’re consulting a mental health professional on live video or following self-care instructions on an app.
On the other hand, online services lack the personal touch and connection of face-to-face interaction with a counsellor or therapist. It may be difficult or take more time to develop a client-therapist rapport. Besides, online mental healthcare services have raised confidentiality and privacy concerns in the past with apps and service providers connecting to third-party data apps or services to improve their offerings.
4. Workplace Mental Health Support
For many Londoners, the workplace is a major source of stress. This mounting stress often leads to a wide range of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and addictive behaviours.
In response to this, employers are recognising the importance of mental health and extending a helping hand for the well-being of their employees. By offering services such as employee assistance programs, workshops, and access to therapists, employees are being looked after beyond their workplace.
Pros and Cons:
If your workplace doesn’t offer support, you can also seek external counselling to manage workplace stress and related conditions effectively.
5. Emergency Mental Health Support
If you’re struggling or caring for another person going through severe distress, having suicidal thoughts or feelings of self-harm, don’t wait and reach out for help as soon as possible. London offers crisis helplines and services for immediate mental health help and assistance. These organisations offer urgent care and guidance for anyone going through severe mental and emotional distress.
In these times of crises and emergencies, here’s what you can do:
- Call NHS 111 for urgent mental health advice
- Call Samaritans (116 123) for free 24/7 support
- Reach out to Shout (text 85258) which is a confidential crisis text service
In such critical circumstances, time is of the essence. Don’t wait and seek help immediately.
To Sum Up
Mental health is equally important as your physical health to maintain a healthy lifestyle and all-round well-being. Seeking the right support at the right time is a courageous step towards healing yourself and embracing a healthier lifestyle.
Your mental health matters, so seek help whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, in a mental health crisis or just need someone to talk to.
