Non-urgent help

We provide NHS Talking Therapies services across Kingston, Wandsworth, Richmond, Sutton and Merton.

What are Taking Therapies?

Talking therapies (psychological therapies) can be used to treat many different mental health problems. They involve talking to a trained professional about your thoughts, feelings and behaviours. 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)
• coping with a long-term health condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or chronic pain

How to access Talking Therapies

You don't need a diagnosed mental health condition to get support. For some conditions, such as anxiety and depression, you can refer yourself directly to NHS Talking Therapies without seeing a GP first. To use this service, you will need to be registered with a GP, and be 18 or over (16 or over in some areas). If you are 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 to Talking Therapies. They can offer advice and help you find out what is available in your area. 

• NHS 111 Online offers a simple, trusted way for people with non-emergency mental health concerns to get advice, support and local service information, any time of day or night. Using the same clinical pathways as NHS 111 by phone, the service is available 24/7 via 111.nhs.uk or the NHS App.
• Through your GP — Contact your GP for mental health advice and guidance, including make a referral to our services.
• Help with medicines — If you are under our care, our pharmacy team provides a dedicated helpline for advice and support. If you have any questions about your medication, you can call our Medicines Helpline on 020 3513 6829, Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm, to speak with a pharmacist. Find out more on our medication advice page.
• Know who to turn to in your community — Find alternative help and support in your community run by local voluntary and community sector organisations and groups. Know who to turn to in your community
• Via the NHS website — find further information and advice about getting support for your mental health on the NHS website.
• Through Hub of Hope — it is the UK’s largest mental health support database. It is provided by national mental health charity Chasing the Stigma and brings local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support and services together in one place.
• Through Every Mind Matters — find tips, guides, digital tools and activities to support your wellbeing and improve your mental health on the Every Mind Matters website.

From other helplines and text services

If you just need to talk, any time of day or night, these services offer confidential support from trained staff and volunteers. You can talk about anything that's troubling you, no matter how difficult.

• Beat support people who have or are worried they have an eating disorder, as well as others affected, such as friends and family members. Their helpline is available by phone, 3pm-8pm, Monday to Friday on  0808 801 0677 and via webchat.
• CALM is the Campaign Against Living Miserably. Their helpline is open daily from 5pm to midnight on 0800 58 58 58.
• Childline  offers support to children and young people over the phone and online. If you are under 19, you can also call 0800 1111 to talk to  Childline or chat to one of their counsellors online. The number will not appear on your phone bill.
• Kooth offers free, confidential and anonymous online support and counselling for 11-23 year olds.
• Samaritans offer confidential non-judgemental emotional support for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which could lead to suicide. For English and Welsh speakers. Call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org (it may take several days to receive a reply by email).
• SANEline offers specialist emotional support, guidance and information to anyone affected by mental illness, including family, friends and carers. Call 0300 304 7000 (every day of the year, from 4pm – 10.30pm).