Understanding & getting help
Therapy, diagnosis and finding the right kind of care. 51 guides in 9 groups.
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Apps & digital help
- Choosing a mental health app you can trustA good app can be a helpful pocket tool. A few simple checks help you find one that’s worth your time and trust.⏱ 4 min
📝 3› - Mental health apps & your privacyWhat you share about your mind deserves care. A few checks help you stay in control of your story.⏱ 3 min
📝 3› - Online peer support: forums, groups & warmlinesSometimes the people who help most are the ones who’ve been there too, even if they’re on the other side of a screen.⏱ 3 min
📝 3› - Texting or chatting with a crisis lineIf talking out loud feels like too much, you can type. A real, caring person will read every word.⏱ 3 min
📝 3› - Using apps alongside therapy & careYour phone can be a helpful bridge between appointments, with your care team still at the centre.⏱ 3 min
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Crisis care
- Calling 988: what really happensReaching out is hard. Knowing what to expect can make that first call, text or chat a little easier.⏱ 4 min
📝 3› - What a psychiatric hospital stay is likeA hospital stay is a short, safe pause to get through a crisis. It is not a failure, and it is not forever.⏱ 4 min
📝 3› - Going to the ER for mental healthA mental health emergency is a real emergency. You deserve care, respect and a plan for what comes next.⏱ 3 min
📝 3› - Life after a psychiatric hospital stayComing home is a beginning, not a finish line. Go gently, and let people help.⏱ 3 min
📝 4› - Mobile crisis teams & crisis centersIn a mental health crisis, the right help can come to you, or welcome you in, without a trip to the ER.⏱ 3 min
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Doctors & diagnosis
- Talking to your doctor about mental healthYour mind is part of your health. You are allowed to bring it up, in your own words, at any visit.⏱ 3 min
📝 3› - Getting a mental health diagnosisA diagnosis is a starting point for understanding and care, not a verdict on who you are.⏱ 3 min
📝 3› - Preparing for mental health appointmentsA few notes and a little planning can turn a short, nervous visit into one where you feel heard.⏱ 3 min
📝 3› - Second opinions in mental health careAsking for another view is a normal part of good care. It is your health, and your questions count.⏱ 2 min
📝 3› - Feelings after a diagnosis: relief, grief & labelsRelief, sadness, anger, hope: whatever you feel after a diagnosis makes sense. You are still you.⏱ 3 min
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Getting care
- Finding mental health careFinding help can feel like a maze. Here’s a map: who can help, where to look, and what to expect when you get there.⏱ 8 min
📝 4› - Paying for care & your rightsMoney and rules shouldn’t stand between you and help. Here’s how to pay for care, and what you’re entitled to along the way.⏱ 8 min
📝 4› - Support groups & peer supportSometimes the most healing words are “me too”. You don’t have to go through this alone.⏱ 3 min
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Mental health basics
- Understanding mental healthKnowing the facts helps you look after yourself, support others and ask for help when you need it.⏱ 6 min
📝 3› - Spotting mental health misinformationNot everything you read or watch about mental health is true. A few simple checks can protect you and the people you love.⏱ 6 min
📝 3› - Stigma & talking about mental healthKind words and honest conversations make it easier for everyone to ask for help.⏱ 4 min
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Prevention
- Prevention & early signsSmall things, done early, protect our mental health. Here is what keeps us strong, and how to notice when something is changing.⏱ 8 min
📝 3› - Mental health check-ins & screeningChecking in on your mind is as normal as checking your blood pressure. Here is how to do it, for yourself and for others.⏱ 4 min
📝 4› - Mental health first aid: helping in the momentYou don’t need to be an expert to help. Noticing, listening and staying with someone can make a real difference.⏱ 4 min
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Psychology
- Psychology basics: big ideasThe big ideas about how people think, feel, remember and grow, explained simply, with what they can and can’t tell you.⏱ 12 min
📝 6› - History of psychology & its thinkersPeople everywhere have tried to understand and ease mental pain. Their story, from ancient healers to today, shows how far care has come.⏱ 11 min
📝 3› - How emotions workFeelings aren’t random or weak. They are messages from your body and brain, and you can learn their language.⏱ 5 min
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Starting therapy
- Finding a therapist who fitsThe right therapist is out there. Here’s how to narrow the search, check who you’re talking to, and spot a good fit.⏱ 4 min
📝 3› - Your first therapy sessionNervous about your first session? That’s completely normal. Here’s what happens before, during and after, so nothing catches you off guard.⏱ 3 min
📝 3› - Online therapy: video, phone & textTherapy from your sofa, your car or your lunch break can work well. Here’s how to choose safely and make it work for you.⏱ 3 min
📝 3› - When therapy isn’t workingFeeling stuck in therapy is common, and it’s fixable. Speaking up, changing course or switching therapists are all signs of taking your care seriously.⏱ 3 min
📝 3› - Free & low-cost therapyMoney shouldn’t stand between you and help. There are more affordable doors into therapy than most people know.⏱ 3 min
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Therapy
- Therapy: the basicsTherapy isn’t about being “broken”. It’s a safe space to understand what’s hard and find a way forward.⏱ 7 min
📝 5› - CBT, DBT & other talk therapiesSome therapies teach practical skills, some help you understand your story. Here’s a friendly map of both.⏱ 7 min
📝 3› - Therapies for traumaWhat happened to you can become a memory, not a daily weight. These therapies are built to help with exactly that.⏱ 4 min
📝 3› - Creative & body-based therapiesSome feelings are easier to draw, sing, play or move than to say. No talent needed, just you.⏱ 4 min
📝 3› - Couples, family & group therapyWe’re shaped by the people around us, so sometimes the best place to heal is together.⏱ 3 min
📝 3› - Levels of care & kinds of helpHelp comes in many sizes, from an app to a hospital stay. Needing more or less at different times is normal.⏱ 4 min
📝 3› - When faith and therapy meetYou don’t have to choose between your faith and your mental health. Many people find that each makes the other stronger.⏱ 4 min
📝 4› - EMDR therapy explainedA painful memory doesn’t have to keep feeling like it’s happening now. EMDR is one way people help old hurts settle into the past.⏱ 4 min
📝 3› - EMDR: what a session is like & finding a providerKnowing what will happen in the room can make the first step much easier. You stay in charge the whole way.⏱ 3 min
📝 3› - Parts work (IFS) explainedPart of you wants one thing, part of you wants another. Parts work is a kind, curious way to listen to all of you.⏱ 3 min
📝 3› - Getting to know your “parts”: a gentle self-help startThe voices inside you aren’t enemies. With a little curiosity, you can start to hear what each one is trying to do for you.⏱ 2 min
📝 4› - DBT explained: what it is and who it helpsDBT is built on a hopeful idea: you can accept yourself as you are and still build a life that feels more worth living.⏱ 5 min
📝 4› - DBT skills: mindfulnessYou don’t need to empty your mind. DBT mindfulness is about noticing what’s here, one moment at a time, and choosing your next step wisely.⏱ 3 min
📝 4› - DBT skills: getting through a crisis moment (TIPP, STOP, radical acceptance)When a wave of feeling hits, the goal isn’t to fix everything. It’s to get through the next few minutes without making things worse.⏱ 4 min
📝 4› - DBT skills: emotion regulationEmotions aren’t the enemy. These skills help you understand what a feeling is telling you, and choose what to do with it.⏱ 3 min
📝 4› - DBT skills: asking and saying no (DEAR MAN, GIVE, FAST)You can ask for what you need and say no, and still keep your relationships and your self-respect.⏱ 3 min
📝 4› - Somatic (body-based) therapy explainedTherapy that listens to your body as well as your words, explained honestly so you can choose what fits.⏱ 5 min
📝 3› - Body-based calming skills you can try todaySmall, gentle ways to help your body feel a little safer, starting right where you are.⏱ 3 min
📝 3› - How stress and trauma live in the bodyYour body’s reactions are real, they make sense, and they can learn to settle again.⏱ 4 min
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