England
Adults can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression. The service assesses whether it is suitable; local eligibility and waits vary.
Find NHS Talking TherapiesSHIFT HEALTH
GOOD TO TALK · MENTAL WELLBEING
You don’t need
the perfect words.
Start with how you feel. Find practical guidance, help with a first conversation and routes to further support.
- Practical guidance
- Starting a conversation
- Finding support
Free guidance. No account needed.
Need urgent help? Find urgent support.Good to Talk · Your next step
Let’s make getting help easier.
You don’t need a diagnosis or a SHIFT membership. Start with the help you want today.
This is a guide to getting support, not an assessment or a monitored service. If you feel unsafe or need urgent help, use urgent support now.
Save a next step and optional reminder in My Timber. Your appointment notes stay on this page and are not copied into your account.
01 · Find professional help
Your GP can help you understand what is happening and discuss suitable care. If you already have a care team, contact them about changes or difficulties.
Scotland
Speak to your GP about psychological therapies. Some local services also offer digital self-referral.
Explore NHS Scotland optionsWales
Ask your GP or local health board about counselling and psychological support. Access arrangements vary locally.
Explore NHS Wales guidanceNorthern Ireland
Speak to your GP about support and referral to an appropriate service in your Health and Social Care Trust.
Explore Northern Ireland servicesNot sure which route fits? Start with your GP. Understand the different types of help, including private therapy. Check fees, qualifications and availability directly before booking.
For someone under 18, use age-appropriate support or speak to their GP.
Prepare for that first conversation02 · Put it into your own words
Use these optional notes for yourself or an appointment. Write as much or as little as you like.
These notes are not sent to SHIFT, saved to your account or read by a clinician. They stay on this page until you clear or leave it. Copying or printing creates a separate copy: use a device you trust.
At the appointment, also mention any concerns about your safety, relevant health conditions and medicines you take. You do not need to type those details here.
03 · While you wait — and if things change
I haven’t managed to make contact
Make the next step smaller: write down the number or open the referral page. Ask someone you trust to sit with you while you make contact. Tell the service about communication or access needs.
I’ve contacted a service and I’m waiting
Check they received your request. Ask when to expect a response, who to contact while waiting and what to do if things worsen. If you cannot manage the wait, contact your GP or existing care team.
I have an appointment
Bring your notes. Ask what the next step is, who is responsible for your care and when you will review how it is going.
The help isn’t helping
Tell the professional what has changed, what feels difficult and what you hoped would improve. Ask for a review of the plan and other options. Discuss medicine changes with your prescriber rather than changing or stopping them yourself.
Choose one manageable thing for today. Practical support can sit alongside treatment; it does not replace it.
You do not have to wait for an appointment or a reply if you feel unsafe. Find urgent support.
Free guidance. No purchase or account required. Sources: the NHS and national services linked above. Routes checked 23 October 2026. Your receiving service confirms eligibility, availability and care arrangements.
Find your way
Four ways in.
However you’re feeling, there’s a place to start.
I’m struggling
today
Some days feel heavier than others. Find practical support and small steps to get through today.
Find support for todayI don’t feel
like myself
Feeling low, anxious or not quite right? Explore what you’re feeling and find helpful next steps.
Find a helpful next stepI can’t
switch off
A busy mind can make everything harder. Discover practical ways to unwind and feel more at ease.
Find ways to unwindI’m worried
about someone
Not sure how to help someone you care about? Find guidance for the conversation and what to do next.
Help someone you care aboutSupport and resources
Take it at your pace.
Explore helpful resources, tools and professional support.
Wellbeing library
Practical guides on mental wellbeing, sleep, stress, relationships and more.
Explore the libraryProfessional support
Find out about different types of support, how to access them and what to expect.
Find professional supportBrowse the wellbeing library
Explore the Good to Talk library
No guides match that search. Try a broader word or browse all topics.
More about getting support
Good to Talk · Free. Always.
No membership. No sales pitch. No pretending everything can be fixed with a motivational quote.
Life can get bloody hard. Work, money, relationships, kids, health, weight, grief, loneliness — sometimes several of them at once. You do not need a diagnosis to admit you're struggling, and you do not need to wait until everything falls apart before talking.
Good to Talk. Free. Always.
This whole section is free to read. It is deliberately kept outside the Shift Programme sales funnel.
How are you feeling?
Low or flatWhen you're not necessarily crying — you just don't feel like yourself.
Anxious or overthinkingWorry, dread, racing thoughts and never quite switching off.
Stressed or overwhelmedWhen everything feels like another thing on the pile.
Angry or irritableWhen struggling comes out as snapping, frustration or a short fuse.
Numb or disconnectedNot particularly sad. Not particularly anything.
LonelyYou can have a family, mates and colleagues and still feel alone.
Low on confidenceSelf-worth, comparison, shame and feeling you've lost yourself.
Not sleepingWhy sleep and mental wellbeing can become a vicious circle.
You don't have to know what to call it
Mental-health problems do not always arrive with a neat label. NHS guidance lists feelings such as stress, anxiety, low mood, loneliness, grief and anger among common experiences people may need help with. If the way you're feeling is affecting everyday life, relationships, work, sleep or your ability to cope, that is reason enough to take it seriously.
Start with: I just don't feel like myself
Sometimes the problem is life
Life gets bloody hard
Work. Money. Relationships. Kids. Losing people. Health. Drinking. Gambling. Identity. Sometimes you don't need a label — you need help dealing with what's actually happening.
Which kind of help do I need?
You do not need a diagnosis before asking for help. Start with the problem you want somebody to understand: “I’m not sleeping”, “I’m snapping at people”, “I feel flat”, or “I’m avoiding everything”. The NHS has information on these feelings; a webpage cannot tell you what is causing them.
Choose the job you need help with
- Understanding what is happening: read the guide closest to your experience. Write down what changed and what it is affecting.
- Having someone listen: use a trusted person or an appropriate listening service. You do not need to arrive with an explanation or a finished plan.
- Getting an assessment or treatment: contact your GP or the relevant NHS mental-health service. In England, some NHS talking-therapy services accept self-referrals. Check the local service’s criteria and contact route.
- Help that cannot safely wait: go directly to the urgent-help information above or the UK urgent-support guide.
Make the first conversation easier
If your mind goes blank when somebody asks “What’s wrong?”, take three notes: what changed; what daily life has become harder; what you want help with. For example: “For the last few weeks I’ve been waking early, avoiding friends and struggling to concentrate at work. I’d like help understanding it and deciding what to do.” Use your own details; this is an illustration, not a diagnostic checklist.
Ask what happens next, how to contact the service while waiting and what to do if things worsen. If making contact is the obstacle, ask someone you trust to sit with you or help prepare the information. Tell the service about communication or access needs.
What does “free” mean here?
Good to Talk’s public guides are free to read without a SHIFT membership or medicine purchase. That does not mean every external service is free, immediately available or suitable for everyone. Check any provider’s costs, eligibility and waiting arrangements before agreeing to something.
Use our guide to supporting someone who refuses help if you are here for another person. For your own next conversation, read NHS guidance on accessing services.
Practical help
Things you can do yourself
Bad day? Overthinking? Lost your routine? Withdrawing from people? Start with something practical — without pretending self-help replaces proper treatment.
When self-help isn’t enough
Getting proper help
GPs. NHS Talking Therapies. CBT. Counselling. Medication. Private therapy. Work support. What happens, what to ask and what to do if the first treatment isn’t helping.
For mates, partners & family
Worried about someone?
How to start the conversation, what to say, what not to say, how to ask about suicide, where to get urgent help — and how to look after yourself while supporting somebody else.
Explore the full Good to Talk library
Explore guidance on life’s pressure points, practical self-help, getting professional help, supporting someone else and finding urgent support. Choose the question closest to what is happening for you.
Sources and further reading
- NHS — feelings and symptoms
- NHS Every Mind Matters — mental health issues
- NICE NG222 — depression in adults: treatment and management
This content is educational and is not a diagnosis.