Important: Get urgent help
Support is available if you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis or emergency, no matter what you're going through.
What talking therapies can help with
Talking therapies can help with many different problems, including:
- difficult feelings, such as low mood, worries and stress
- depression, including postnatal depression
- anxiety, including social anxiety, phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia
- bipolar disorder
- personality disorders
- coping with a long-term health condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or chronic pain
How to get talking therapies
There are many different ways to get talking therapies. You do not need to have a diagnosed mental health condition.
Refer yourself for talking therapies on the NHS
For some mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, you can refer yourself to NHS talking therapies without speaking to a GP.
To use this service, you need to be registered with a GP and must be aged 18 or over (or 16 or over in some areas).
If you're under 18, find out more about getting mental health support for children and young people.
When to speak to a GP
Speak to a GP if you:
- are not sure about referring yourself for talking therapies – they can offer advice and help you find out what's available in your area
- have, or think you might have, an eating disorder, bipolar disorder, personality disorder or psychosis – they can refer you to a suitable specialist for treatment
Other ways to get talking therapies
Talking therapies are sometimes available for free through your employer, university or local charities.
You may also choose to pay for a talking therapy privately, rather than having it on the NHS.
Before choosing a private therapist, make sure they’re registered with a professional organisation that’s been accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
Find out more about how to find therapy or counselling on the Mind website
Self help for mental health
Types of talking therapy
There are different types of talking therapy, but they all include talking to a trained professional about your thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Talking therapies can also be done in different ways, such as in-person, through a video or phone call, or an online course. You may be offered the choice of group sessions or one-to-one.
The type of talking therapy you can get depends on what you need it for and what's available in your area.
| Type of talking therapy | How it works |
|---|---|
|
Guided self-help |
You go through a workbook or online course with the help of a therapist. It’s based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) principles. |
|
A therapist helps you make changes to how you think and act. You’ll be asked to practice what you’ve learned between sessions. There are many different types of CBT, depending on what you need it for. |
|
|
You talk to a therapist about your thoughts, feelings and life experiences. They will listen to you and help you find your own solutions to problems. |
|
|
Interpersonal therapy |
You talk to a therapist about problems in your relationships and learn ways to deal with them. |
|
Dynamic interpersonal therapy |
You talk to a therapist who helps you to identify how your childhood experiences are affecting your relationships. |
|
Couples therapy |
You and your partner talk to a therapist who helps you deal with problems in your relationship. |
|
Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) |
You talk to a therapist about traumatic memories while doing a type of movement, such as moving your eyes side-to-side. It can help make traumatic memories less intense and easier to manage. |
|
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) |
You learn to notice your thoughts and feelings as they happen in the moment, using mindfulness techniques such as meditation and breathing exercises. |
Other types of talking therapy
You may be able to get other types of talking therapies for specific mental health problems on the NHS, such as dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) for personality disorders.
Speak to your GP to find out what's available in your area.
Video: Talking therapies for anxiety and depression
Animated video explaining self-referral to talking therapies services for anxiety or depression. Includes British Sign Language (BSL) translation.
Media review due: 14 March 2025