Mental health support that replies within hours: what exists in the UK, and what it costs

Wobble is not a crisis service. If you are in danger call 999, or Samaritans on 116 123.

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Yes, the UK has mental health support that replies within hours, and some of it replies within minutes. The free routes are NHS 111 with the mental health option, Samaritans on the phone and Shout by text, all open day and night. The paid route that replies within hours with a qualified therapist rather than a volunteer is Wobble: you answer seven short questions about what is going on, add more in writing or by voice note if you want, and a UK therapist records you a personal video, usually within hours, for £9.99 the first time, usually £14.99. Private therapists sometimes offer a one-off appointment too, at ordinary private rates.

This page is a plain map of those options, with who each is for and what it costs, so you can pick one today rather than spend the evening comparing. The fuller guide to every route into talking to a professional is I need to talk to a therapist: your UK options; this page is the short version for when the question is "who will actually get back to me today".

The options at a glance

Six routes reply the same day, and they differ in who answers and what it costs.

The first four are for the moment you are in: a person to talk to now, with no record kept and no next step required. The last two are for the day after the moment: practical guidance from a therapist about what is going on and what to do next.

Is there a mental health chat service available in the UK?

Shout is the UK's free, confidential, 24/7 mental health text service: text SHOUT to 85258 and a trained volunteer replies. Shout is for anyone struggling to cope, from stress and anxiety to feeling unable to carry on, and it works from any UK mobile at no cost. NHS 111 also runs online, and the mental health option on the phone line is the NHS route to urgent help that is not an emergency.

Neither is therapy. A text or a call gets you through the next hour with a human on the other end. Wobble is the written-in, video-back version of a conversation with a therapist: you type or record what is going on, and the reply is a personal video from a qualified UK therapist with what they understood, practical guidance and one clear next step. For something that is not a crisis but is more than you can sort alone tonight, that is the difference between a chat service and support.

What replies within hours, free

Three free services answer at any hour, and none of them needs a referral.

NHS 111, mental health option. Call 111 and select the mental health option, or use 111 online. The NHS says to use it when you need urgent help for your mental health but it is not an emergency.

Samaritans. Call 116 123, free from any phone including pay-as-you-go mobiles, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Samaritans volunteers listen, whatever you are going through, and you do not have to be in crisis to call.

Shout. Text SHOUT to 85258, free, confidential, 24/7, for anyone struggling to cope. Some people find a text easier than a call.

Mind Infoline. Call 0300 123 3393 on weekdays for information about mental health problems and where to get help near you. Mind's local branches run services across England and Wales, and the Infoline is the way to find yours.

Can I get advice from a therapist without booking a course of therapy?

Yes, in two ways: a one-off private appointment, or a single Wobble. A private therapist found through a directory such as BACP's or Counselling Directory will often see you for a single assessment or one-off appointment at their ordinary rate, which for most UK therapists sits between £40 and £70 a session, more in London; the full breakdown is in how much private therapy costs in the UK. You still have to find someone, check they are registered, and wait for a slot.

Wobble is built for exactly this question (how a reply within hours works, what it costs). You answer seven short questions about what is going on, and can add anything else in writing or by voice note. A qualified, registered UK therapist reads or listens to it and records you a personal video, usually within hours: what they have understood, practical guidance you can use that day, and one clear next step. The therapists work to the Wobble response framework, a structured framework built for short, practical, single-response support, and Wobble's Clinical Lead is James Penney, NCPS Accredited Psychotherapeutic Counsellor. Nothing to book, no course to commit to, and the first Wobble costs £9.99, usually £14.99. If you want ongoing therapy afterwards, the video will say so and point you at the right route.

NHS Talking Therapies is the free route to a course of therapy in England, and you can refer yourself without seeing a GP. It is a course rather than a one-off, and waits vary widely, so it sits alongside the options above rather than replacing them; what to do while you wait covers that gap.

Want a therapist's take on your situation?

Wobble connects you to a qualified UK therapist without the commitment of a full course of therapy. Describe what is going on and get a personal video back, usually within hours.

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Is there anything between a self-help app and full therapy?

Yes: two things sit in that gap, a human helpline and a one-off response from a therapist. Self-help mental health apps give you tools and a record of your mood, with no person reading what you write. Full therapy gives you a qualified person every week for a course. The gap between them is wide, and it is where most people who are struggling but not in crisis actually are.

A helpline fills the gap for the next hour. Samaritans, Shout and the NHS 111 mental health option put a trained human on the line in minutes, free, with no commitment. A single therapist response fills the gap for the next week. Wobble is that: you answer seven short questions, and a qualified UK therapist records you a personal video with practical guidance and a next step, usually within hours, for £9.99 the first time and £14.99 after, or from £8.75 each on a plan. You can send one and never send another, or send one whenever something comes up.

Wobble is not a crisis service and not a replacement for ongoing therapy where that is what you need. It is mental health support from qualified therapists: the step before therapy for people who would never book it, and the step after a self-help app for people who want a human to read what they wrote.

What it costs, in one place

Free: NHS 111, Samaritans, Shout, the Mind Infoline, and NHS Talking Therapies in England once you are through the wait. Wobble: £9.99 for your first personal video, usually £14.99, then £14.99 each as you go, or £19.99 a month for two and £34.99 a month for four, which works out at £8.75 a Wobble. A one-off private appointment: usually £40 to £70, more in London or with a specialist, and some therapists offer a reduced rate; free counselling in the UK and I can't afford therapy cover the cheaper routes in detail.

When within hours is not fast enough

Call 999 or go to A&E now if someone's life is at risk. The NHS says the same if you do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe, and that a mental health emergency should be treated as seriously as a physical one. For urgent help that is not an emergency, call 111 and select the mental health option, or call Samaritans on 116 123. Wobble is not a crisis service: a therapist will reply within hours, not minutes, and the response is guidance, not emergency care.

Who you can talk to today

Free routes first, then Wobble, then your GP.

• NHS 111, mental health option: call 111 and select the mental health option, or use 111 online, for urgent help that is not an emergency. Free, 24 hours.
• Samaritans: call 116 123, free from any phone, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• Shout: text SHOUT to 85258, free, confidential, 24/7.
• Mind Infoline: 0300 123 3393, weekdays, for information and where to get help near you.
• NHS Talking Therapies (England): refer yourself at nhs.uk/talk without seeing your GP, free; waits vary widely.
• Your GP: for anything that has gone on for a few weeks, is affecting your daily life, or where you are not sure what is going on.

Wobble is on-demand mental health support: you answer seven short questions about what is going on, add more in writing or by voice note if you want, and a qualified UK therapist records you a personal video with practical guidance, usually within hours. Use it once, or make it a regular check-in. Your first Wobble is £9.99, usually £14.99. It is not a crisis service.

Try Wobble for £9.99

On-demand mental health support from qualified UK therapists. Describe what is going on, get a personal video back usually within hours.

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Quick summary

Support that replies within hours exists in the UK, free and paid. For the next hour: NHS 111 with the mental health option, Samaritans on 116 123, Shout by text on 85258, all free and open day and night. For the next week: a personal video from a qualified UK therapist through Wobble, usually within hours, £9.99 the first time and usually £14.99, or a one-off private appointment at ordinary rates. For a course of therapy: NHS Talking Therapies in England, free, self-referral, waits vary. If anyone is at risk, 999 or A&E, now.

Sources and further reading

• NHS: Where to get urgent help for mental health
• NHS: Talking therapies
• NHS: NHS Talking Therapies self-referral
• NHS England: NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression
• NHS 111 online
• Samaritans: Contact a Samaritan
• Shout: text SHOUT to 85258
• Mind: Helplines

This article is for information only and does not replace advice from a qualified medical professional. If you are struggling, please speak to your GP or contact NHS 111. If you are in crisis, please call 999 or go to A&E.