Mental Health Support for Young People
Mental health challenges affect about 1 in 5 children and young people. Evidence shows that across the UK, mental health challenges in young people are increasing.
If you are a young person aged 11 to 18 experiencing struggles with your emotions or mental health, such as often feeling low, stressed or worried, accessing support can help.
At Mind in Harrogate District our Children and Young People services are designed to provide timely and compassionate support to help young people navigate these challenges and build resilience:
Young People Mental Health Drop-In
Counselling for Young People
Wellbeing Workshops
Go Bright for Mind in Harrogate District
If you, a friend or relative are in crisis or need urgent or emergency support please contact CRISIS support services. Mind in Harrogate District is not a crisis service. Please follow this link for details of Crisis Support.
Young People Drop-In
A safe space to talk 121 to one of our qualified mental health practitioners about your feelings and devise coping strategies to move forward and improve your wellbeing. We are here to listen.
Why might you attend?
- You need a safe, non-judgemental, friendly space to talk and be heard
- You need 121 confidential support, advise or information on coping strategies to manage your mental health
- You need some guidance and signposting to appropriate support available to you in Harrogate District
- You are on a waiting list and want to have an informal chat with someone in the interim
Who is it for?
The mental health drop in is for anyone aged 11 – 18.
This drop-in is not a crisis service or a youth club.
When and where is it?
Wednesday, 3 – 6pm
Acorn Centre, 101a Station Parade, Harrogate, HG1 1HB
How to access the support?
No referral or appointment is needed, just turn up, fill in a short form and access the drop-in support.
Please note: Anyone under 13 must attend the drop-in with a parent or carer.
Counselling for Young People
Mind in Harrogate District provides a confidential, professional counselling service for young people aged 11 – 18 to help you navigate difficult emotions and situations. Our counsellors help young people to make sense of what they are feeling, and develop ways of coping with difficulties so that they can enjoy life more fully.
Our experienced counsellors can support you with a range of issues, including:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Stress
- Low mood
- Bereavement/Loss
- Relationship difficulties
- Low self-esteem
- Coping with change and / or life transitions
Who is this suitable for?
Our service is for young people aged 11 to 18. We exclusively serve young people living in Harrogate District to ensure focused and accessible support within the local community.
What can I expect?
You can expect a supportive, non-judgmental environment where our counsellors actively listen, collaborate, and help you develop coping strategies and emotional resilience.
Young people will be allocated a dedicated counsellor and offered weekly counselling sessions, each lasting 50 minutes. We recommend a minimum of 10 sessions, but we can offer up to 20 sessions where required. We offer young people counselling sessions on a Wednesday from 3pm – 8pm. Appointments take place at the Acorn Centre, 101a Station Parade, Harrogate HG1 1HB. Click here for location details.
For children under the age of 16, a parent (or a person with parental responsibility) will be invited to meet the counsellor in advance of the initial appointment with the child. This pre-session is an opportunity for the therapist to make note of your concerns, times that your child has struggled with behaviours or feelings and to fully understand the child’s situation. For children under the age of 16, the parent (or a person with parental responsibility) will be asked to remain on site during the young person’s appointments.
Our counsellors are fully vetted with a police check, insured and members of the BACP. Our service is an organisational member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Please be aware that due to high demand for this service, there may be a waiting time which can be up to 6 months. We strive to accommodate everyone as efficiently as possible and appreciate your understanding.
Fees
For 11 – 18 year olds, the service is £10.00 per session.
Data Protection
The privacy and security of young people seeking counselling is of utmost importance to us. We adhere to strict data protection practices to ensure the confidentiality of their information. All data collected, including personal details and session notes, is stored securely on encrypted servers with restricted access.
We never share any sensitive information without explicit consent from the young person and their parent/guardian.
How can I access this service?
Please contact us at [email protected] or call 01423 503335 to find out if our counselling service is right for you and to arrange an assessment with our Children and Young People Coordinator.
For young people aged 11 to 16 years, we will require parent/guardian/carer consent to access the Counselling service. Young people aged 17 to 18 years can self-refer.
Wellbeing Workshops
Research shows that young people benefit from mental health support in familiar, relaxed environments that are conducive to helping them open up.
Mind in Harrogate District offers preventative and early intervention support to youth clubs or schools to address mental health issues. We can deliver interactive group mental health and wellbeing sessions in your youth club or school and signposting to our drop-in or counselling service for young people needing 1-2-1 support.
Topics that we can deliver workshops in include:
- Emotional intelligence
- Anxiety & Mindfulness
- Challenging unhelpful thoughts
- Managing anger
- Setting goals
- Self-care
- Kindness
- Sleep
- Self-esteem
- Exam Stress
- Bullying
- Cyberbullying
- Social Media
- Growing Resilience
- Body Image
- Talking male mental health
- Managing emotions
- Anxiety
- Relationships online and offline
- Supporting your friend when they struggle with mental health
- Depression and low mood
- Panic attacks
- Perfectionism
- Friendships and peer pressure
To arrange a mental health and wellbeing session in your youth club or school, please contact us on [email protected] or on 01423 503335.