WHERE TO GO TO FOR HELP
See also: mental health
All of the organisations listed here will normally treat what you are saying as confidential. If you are worried that what you want to talk about may mean someone else is told – for example if you want to talk about abuse, serious self harm, suicide attempts or something illegal – ask them about their ‘confidentiality policy’ before you start. You can also consider talking to your doctor about how you feel.
Castlegate offers a free and confidential counselling service to young people aged 16–25. Call in or call us to make a ‘First Contact’ appointment. This is time to talk to a counsellor about what counselling involves, and whether it is right for you. If you decide to go ahead, you will be put on the waiting list and a counselling appointment will be offered as soon as possible. You can also call in and talk to a worker at Castlegate about any issue that is bothering you, or for a copy of our leaflet ‘Thinking about Counselling?’
1-2-1 Counselling - offer a free counselling service.
York Women's Counselling Service - offer a counselling service to women on any issue. (THe service is free but they ask for a donation if you can afford it).
Relate-teen (part of relate) offer a free counselling service for young people 10-25 about any issue (including the breakdown of their parents' relationship either now or in the past). Young people under 16 need parental permission after the initial meeting.
Mind - Give information about mental health services and issues. They also provide a free counselling service about any issue.
York College Counselling Service - a free confidential counselling service for students at York College.
Your school may have counsellors. Ask a teacher you trust about this.
Childline - a 24 hour phone line for children and young people, to talk about any problem, including bullying and abuse.
Check out the rethink and the site websites.
Get Connected - a free helpline for young people, giving support and information on all issues. They can connect you free of charge to the best service for you.
Parentline Plus - If you are having problems with your parents, they might need someone to talk to as well! Parentline Plus offers a listening ear to parents, and is run by parents themselves.
Samaritans - If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, or needs to talk to someone immediately, contact the Samaritans. You can talk to them in complete confidence at any time, about anything.
If you are under 16, you can still get confidential advice or counselling, without your parent's knowledge or consent. It may be more difficult to find the help you want if you are much younger. If the organisation you contact can't help, ask them to put you in touch with someone who can, or contact Castlegate which will try and do the same.