How to Access Help For Mental Health

Vicky Parry 18th Mar 2024 No Comments

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Whilst the UK is at pandemic levels for mental health issues, there is a way to take matters into your own hands and find a local, certified mental health advisor on Bark.com

There is absolutely zero denying that mental health issues are at crisis level. NHS cutbacks and mismanaged funds, partnered with global pandemics, the dawn of social media, isolation and every other element of our stressful modern world that leads to a crescendo of imbalance. People are talking about mental health problems more than ever. They are rightly refusing to be ashamed and making noise about the severity of the issue. However, a huge number of us wouldn’t even know where to turn if we needed a chat.

The most important thing to note is that if you are in crisis, do not hesitate, speak to someone now (details of all Crisis teams are at the bottom of this article – here).

However, if you are less of a crisis, but need to talk to someone to make sense of the world, or if you have spoken to your doctor and don’t want to wait the predicted two years for a therapist and want to take matters into your own hand, then there are steps you can take to speak to someone.

How to find a mental health specialist on bark
Affordability
If you’re in crisis

Why Would I speak to a Mental Health Specialist?

According to Better Help “Talking to your doctor or mental healthcare professional, such as a psychiatrist, about your mental health issues or emotional difficulties is a positive step towards improving your mental health. Being honest and open will help you get the most appropriate treatment for your needs.”

The NHS say that “Talking therapy is for anyone who’s going through a bad time or has emotional problems they need help with. For many adults it may be the same or more effective than medicine.”

So, if you are trying to make sense of a major life event, or if you sense your friends are at capacity and unable to offer the emotional support you need right now, then maybe a therapist is a possible option you should look into.

How to Find a Mental Health Specialist on Bark?

Lots of people wouldn’t know where to start looking for a therapist. This is something that creates a paralysis and actually stops them getting help.

If you go on Bark.com the process has never been easier.

Step one – type in “therapist” and your Postcode (although lots of consultations can now be done remotely, so don’t worry too much about locations – in fact, you will be asked about in person appointments later down the line).

Step two – You will be asked a little bit more about what you are seeking the therapy for. Don’t worry – this is purely so they can offer the best specialist and match for your needs.

Step 3 – You will now be asked a series of prompts “is this service for you?” “do you have a preference of gender of therapist”, “would you consider remote or online sessions”, “how often do you want a session”. Once you have answered all of these (it takes less than a minute as it offers it all as multiple choice as per the image) you will be asked your postcode and be offered some good matches there and then. They will then do a direct reach-out and you will receive emails over the coming days.

Affordability

You can specify budget and your exact needs, so nobody that isn’t an 100 per cent match will reach out.

The average price of therapy via Bark is £45 per session, meaning that one less night-out could fund your wellbeing. This is an investment in making you your best self and helping you be there for the people that need you.

Find a therapist on Bark.com now.

If you’re in crisis and need to speak to someone:

SANEline. If you’re experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10.30pm every day).

National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK. Offers a supportive listening service to anyone with thoughts of suicide. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652 (6pm to midnight every day).

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). You can call the CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day) if you are struggling and need to talk. Or if you prefer not to speak on the phone, you could try the CALM webchat service.

Shout. If you would prefer not to talk but want some mental health support, you could text SHOUT to 85258. Shout offers a confidential 24/7 text service providing support if you are in crisis and need immediate help.

The Mix. If you’re under 25, you can call The Mix on 0808 808 4994 (3pm–midnight every day), request support by email using this form on The Mix website or use their crisis text messenger service.

Papyrus HOPELINEUK. If you’re under 35 and struggling with suicidal feelings, or concerned about a young person who might be struggling, you can call Papyrus HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141 (24 hours, 7 days a week), email [email protected] or text 07786 209 697.

Nightline. If you’re a student, you can look on the Nightline website to see if your university or college offers a night-time listening service. Nightline phone operators are all students too.

Switchboard. If you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 (10am–10pm every day), email [email protected] or use their webchat service. Phone operators all identify as LGBT+.

C.A.L.L. If you live in Wales, you can call the Community Advice and Listening Line (C.A.L.L.) on 0800 132 737 (open 24/7) or you can text ‘help’ followed by a question to 81066.

Helplines Partnership. For more options, visit the Helplines Partnership website for a directory of UK helplines. Mind’s Infoline can also help you find services that can support you. If you’re outside the UK, the Befrienders Worldwide website has a tool to search by country for emotional support helplines around the world.

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