If you are in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself, get help now. Visit a nearby emergency service, hospital, or mental health clinic. If you are in crisis, these helplines can help:
Crisis numbers
- the United States of America:
- the United Kingdom:
- Samaritans: Tel: 116 123 (Free from any phone) | Tel: 0808 164 0123 (Welsh Language Line) | Tel: 18001 44 116 123 (Relay UK). 24 hours. The Welsh Language Line is open every day, 7pm to 11pm.
- Shout, text 85258: Text: 85258. 24 hours.
- Connect, UK freephone, counselling for adult survivors of abuse: Tel: 0800 0488 023. Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm to 9pm (Irish time).
- India:
- Tele-MANAS: Tel: 14416 | Tel: 1-800 891 4416. 24 hours.
- Vandrevala Foundation Helpline: Tel: +91 9999 666 555 | WhatsApp: +91 9999 666 555. 24 hours.
- Canada:
- 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline: Tel: 9-8-8 | Text: 9-8-8. 24 hours.
- Hope for Wellness Help Line: Tel: 1-855-242-3310. 24 hours. For Indigenous people across Canada.
- South Africa:
- SADAG Suicide Crisis Helpline: Tel: 0800 567 567. 24 hours.
- Cipla Mental Health Helpline: Tel: 0800 456 789 (24 hours) | Text: 31393 | WhatsApp: 076 882 2775 (8am to 5pm). 24 hours.
- Pharma Dynamics Police & Trauma Helpline: Tel: 0800 20 50 26. 8am to 8pm.
- the Philippines:
- NCMH Crisis Hotline: Tel: 1553 (Nationwide) | Tel: 1800-1888-1553 (Nationwide) | Tel: 0919-057-1553 (SMART/TNT). 24 hours.
- Hopeline, suicide and emotional crisis line: Tel: 02-8804-4673 | Tel: 0917-558-4673 | Tel: 0918-873-4673. 24 hours.
- Australia:
- Lifeline 13 11 14: Tel: 13 11 14 | Text: 0477 13 11 14. 24 hours.
- Suicide Call Back Service: Tel: 1300 659 467. 24 hours. For ages 15 and over.
- Blue Knot Helpline and Redress Support Service, for adults affected by childhood abuse: Tel: 1300 657 380 (then press 1 for the Helpline). Every day, 9am to 5pm (Sydney time). Not a crisis service.
- Germany:
- TelefonSeelsorge, for anyone who needs to talk: Tel: 0800 1110111 | Tel: 0800 1110222 | Tel: 116 123. 24 hours.
- MuTeS, Muslim pastoral and crisis line: Tel: 030 443 509 821. 24 hours.
- Saudi Arabia:
- Psychological Consultation Centre: Tel: 920033360
- Ireland:
- Samaritans, for whatever you're going through: Tel: 116 123. 24 hours.
- Pieta 24-Hour Crisis Helpline: Tel: 1800 247 247 | Text: 51444 (Text HELP). 24 hours.
- Connect, counselling for adults abused in childhood: Tel: 1800 477 477. Family members and partners may also call. Every day, 5pm to 9pm.
- Iran:
- France:
- 3114, the national suicide prevention number: Tel: 3114
- Spain:
- Línea 024 de atención a la conducta suicida, for people with suicidal thoughts and their families: Tel: 024 | Chat: www2.cruzroja.es. 24 hours.
- Teléfono de la Esperanza crisis line: Tel: 717 003 717 (Mobile number) | Tel: 914 59 00 55 (Landline). 24 hours.
- New Zealand:
- 1737 Need to Talk?: Tel: 1737 | Text: 1737 | Tel: 0800 1737 1737 (Call (0800 number)). 24 hours. Not a crisis team, and not a service for severe mental illness or distress. Offers brief emotional support.
- Depression Helpline: Tel: 0800 111 757 | Text: 4202. 24 hours.
- Sweden:
- Självmordslinjen, suicide helpline: Tel: 90101 | Chat: mind.se. 24 hours.
- Hjälplinjen, mental health support line: Tel: 90390 | Tel: 0202-90390 (Call (long number)). 24 hours. For people over 18.
- Switzerland:
- Die Dargebotene Hand, emotional support line: Tel: 143 | Tel: 0800 143 000 (English, 6pm to 11pm). 24 hours. Mainly for adults.
- Pro Mente Sana telephone counselling, for people with mental health problems and relatives: Tel: 0848 800 858. For adults. Weekdays 9am to noon; also Monday to Wednesday 4.30pm to 7.30pm, and Thursday and Friday 2pm to 5pm.
- Croatia:
- Telefon za psihološku pomoć (TESA), psychological counselling by phone: Tel: 01 48 28 888. Weekdays, 10am to 10pm; closed for a summer break.
- Linija pomoći Plavi telefon: Tel: 01/4833-888. Weekdays, 10am to 2pm.
- Japan:
- Anata no Ibasho chat (あなたのいばしょチャット相談), free anonymous counselling for anyone: Chat: talkme.jp. 24 hours.
- Inochi no Denwa (いのちの電話), suicide prevention helpline: Tel: 0120-783-556 (Freephone) | Tel: 0570-783-556 (Navi Dial (charged)). Freephone daily 4pm to 9pm, and 24 hours from 8am on the 10th of each month; Navi Dial daily 10am to 10pm, charged.
- Poland:
- Centrum Wsparcia, psychological support for anyone: Tel: 800 70 2222. 24 hours.
- Linia Wsparcia dla Funkcjonariuszy i Pracowników Służb Mundurowych, Ratownictwa Medycznego i ich Rodzin, for uniformed services and their families: Tel: 800 70 2430. 24 hours.
- Pakistan:
- Sehat Tahaffuz 1166, the national health helpline (with the Humraaz mental health service): Tel: 1166
- Taskeen Helpline: Tel: +92 316 827 5336. Appointment-based: a coordinator takes the call and books a session with a psychologist. Monday to Saturday, 11am to 11pm.
- Nigeria:
- She Writes Woman, toll-free and answered at any hour: Tel: 0800 800 2000
- SURPIN, Suicide Research and Prevention Initiative: Toll-free: +234-8000787746 | Tel: +234-908-021-7555 | Tel: +234-903-440-0009 | Tel: +234-814-224-1007
- Sri Lanka:
- Malaysia:
- MIASA_YSD-1800 Crisis Helpline: Tel: 1800 180 066 | WhatsApp: 03-9765 6088. 24 hours.
- Talian HEAL 15555, mental health crisis line: Tel: 15555. Every day, including public holidays.
- Bangladesh:
- Kaan Pete Roi, 3 PM to 3 AM every day: Tel: +880 9612-119911
- Lebanon:
- National Lifeline 1564: Tel: 1564. 24 hours.
- Vietnam:
- Đường dây nóng Ngày mai, free psychological support by phone: Tel: 096.306.1414. Wednesday to Sunday, 1pm to 8:30pm.
- Hy Vọng Sống (HOPE), suicide prevention helpline: Tel: 086 50 444 00. Every day, 12 noon to midnight.
- Botswana:
- BOFWA 24 Hour Youth Helpline: Tel: 16658. 24 hours.
- Cyprus:
- Cyprus Samaritans, emotional support for distress or loneliness: Tel: 80007773. Adults only; every day, 4pm to midnight.
- Portugal:
- Linha Nacional de Prevenção do Suicídio 1411, for suicidal thoughts and self-harm: Tel: 1411. 24 hours. Under-18s need a parent's or guardian's consent.
- SNS 24 psychological counselling: Tel: 808242424 (then option 4). 24 hours. Not meant for suicide risk: the line passes such a call to the emergency medical service at once.
- Egypt:
- The national psychological support hotline: Tel: 16328
- Oman:
- Uganda:
- Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital, 0800 211 306: Tel: 0800 211 306, toll free.
- Namibia:
- LifeLine/ChildLine Namibia 106 Gender-Based Violence HelpLine: Tel: 106 | Text: 081 398 5510. 8am to 8pm.
- Tanzania:
- Singapore:
- national mindline 1771, mental health helpline: Tel: 1771 | WhatsApp: +6566691771 (WhatsApp chat). 24 hours.
- Samaritans of Singapore 24-hour Hotline 1767 and CareText, emotional support for people in distress: Tel: 1767 | WhatsApp: 9151 1767 (WhatsApp (CareText)). 24 hours.
- Not a local line: helplines and suicide hotlines worldwide
How to find the right trauma therapist
This page lists practitioners near you who name trauma among what they work with and have appointments open. Filter the list, then read the profiles.
Look for the exact title the person is registered under. Look for a named trauma therapy they are trained in, rather than "trauma-informed" on its own. Look for experience with the kind of thing that happened to you.
Read the exact title on the profile, then check that title on the register the practitioner is listed with.
Before you contact a trauma therapist
Trauma therapy is talking therapy for what stays after a frightening or overwhelming event. Most people who go through one are distressed for a while and then recover; a minority go on to post-traumatic stress disorder, where the memory keeps returning, reminders are avoided, and the body stays on alert.
It is for someone whose sleep, work or relationships are still shaped by something that has ended. The event can be recent or old, and it can be a single event or years of them. Distress after a frightening event is not itself a disorder.
The therapies with the strongest evidence are trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing 1. Both work with the memory rather than around it, and both are structured.
Expect the early sessions to be about safety and steadiness rather than the event, and expect the therapist to explain the method before using it and to agree the pace with you. You should not be pushed into telling the story before you are ready, and a therapist who works with trauma will say so first.
Ask a practitioner which trauma method they are trained in.
The NO MORE Global Directory lists domestic and sexual violence helplines and specialist support services country by country. The NO MORE Foundation built it in partnership with the United Nations and the World Bank.
Therapists Listed by Proximity to You: anxiety therapist, depression therapist, teen therapist, child therapist, marriage counsellor, couples therapist, affordable therapist, family therapist, psychologist, counsellor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does trauma therapy do?
It works on a memory that has not settled.
After something overwhelming, the memory can stay live. It comes back uninvited, wakes you, and arrives as if it is happening now. You organise your life around not meeting it. Sleep goes, and what you think of yourself and of other people changes.
Trauma therapy makes that memory into something that happened, rather than something happening.
The order matters. Prolonged exposure is one of the established trauma therapies. Its published manual puts the first sessions on explanation and breathing, and starts the work on the memory later 2. Steadying comes first, then work on the memory, then putting back what the trauma took out of your life.
Several approaches do the middle part. You will see them named on profiles: EMDR, trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy, prolonged exposure, and cognitive processing therapy.
Some ask you to go through the memory in detail with the practitioner. EMDR works on the memory while you follow a repeated left-right signal, usually eye movements, and asks for less telling.
Which one suits you is a real choice. Ask which one they use, and why.
Will I have to describe what happened?
It depends which approach you and the practitioner choose, and you get a say in that.
Some approaches do involve going through it, in a structured way, with the practitioner there. That comes after the steadying part is done. Others need much less description.
In every one of them the memory work comes after you can manage what it brings up, not before. If a practitioner wants the detail in the first session, that is a reason to ask why.
What should I look for?
Specific training in a trauma therapy, not general experience. Ask which one, and where they trained in it. We have written more widely on how to find the right therapist.
Ask what the first month would be. Someone who answers "we steady you first, and we do not touch the memory until you are ready" has the order right. Be wary of anyone who cannot name an approach, or who wants the detail before you feel safe.
Can it be done online?
Yes, and for many people being at home is the easier place to do it. The profile says who offers it.
Two things to settle first. A private place where you will not be interrupted. A plan for what happens if a session leaves you badly shaken.
If you have long-standing, complex trauma, being in a room with someone is usually better. The same holds if you lose track of where you are when distressed.
What if I have had therapy for it before and it did not help?
That is common. Usually the therapy was not a trauma therapy.
General supportive therapy is not the same as a trauma therapy. Coping skills alone leave the memory where it was. If nobody worked on the memory, the treatment for this has not been tried.
There are other possibilities. A different approach may suit you better. Your life may have been too unsettled at the time. The practitioner may not have had the training for it.
None of those mean it will not work now.
What does it cost?
The fee is on the practitioner's own profile. Ask whether a reduced fee is available. A non-profit trauma service or a university training clinic near you may see people for less, and we have written on how to find affordable therapy.
If you served in the armed forces, ask the veterans' service what it covers before you pay for this yourself.
Related pages
References
[1] World Health Organization (2026). Post-traumatic stress disorder (fact sheet).
[2] Foa, E. B., Hembree, E. A., Rothbaum, B. O., & Rauch, S. A. M. (2019). Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD, 2nd ed., Appendix D, treatment session checklists, pp. 172-179.
Real choice. Authentic, independent, clinician-led care.
TherapyRoute is a clinician-led directory that champions independent practitioners who answer to you and their professional ethics. We don't take commissions, sell your data, or assign therapists by algorithm. You browse, compare, and choose.
Vincenzo (Enzo) Sinisi, Clinical Psychologist (HPCSA), Psychoanalyst (IPA/SAPA), Group Analyst (IGA)
TherapyRoute is not for emergencies and does not provide medical advice. All of our content is informational and cannot replace professional healthcare. In an emergency, contact a local emergency service. For immediate support, consider a local helpline.
