Whether through emergency support, your GP, an employer scheme, a charity, a helpline or private therapy, reaching out can help you find the right next step. Speaking to someone can be the first step towards feeling less alone and finding the right help for your situation.

Choosing private therapy can give you more choice and allow you to go at your own pace. You may be able to access therapy sooner and in a way that is convenient to you. The most important consideration is the potential for a good relationship with your therapist: to sit together, to collaborate and to relate. You can search the BACP directory for help finding an accredited therapist.

If private therapy isn't an option, there are other routes to support. If you are in work, check whether your employer provides an Employee Assistance Programme, often called an EAP. Through this route you may be able to access free short-term counselling. EAP services are separate from your employer and operate confidentially.

Alternatively, your GP may be able to refer you for talking therapy or CBT through local NHS services, or link you to a local organisation or support group with a specific specialism such as loss and bereavement counselling or drugs and Alcohol counselling.

Organisations, charities and helplines offering immediate support include: