Coronavirus: emotional advice and support

Help and advice is available for those who are worried about coronavirus and self-isolation.

From Monday (23 March), the clinical psychologists at Beyond Psychology will be offering free 15-minute telephone consultations, as will Awakening Minds CIC.

A not-for-profit social enterprise, Beyond was set up and founded by chartered clinical psychologists, Dr Kirsty Hughes and Dr Louise Mansell in March 2017, whilst Awakening Minds is a non-profit community interest group founded in 2016 in Rochdale.

Awakening Minds provide a bilingual service in English, Urdu, Punjabi, Mirpuri and Hindi. 

Consultant Nasrine Akhtar, a licensed mental health practitioner, said: “We are offering over the phone mental health support and advice for anyone who feels they could benefit form a friendly chat in these unprecedented times.”

Beyond's Dr Louise Mansell said: “We have seen a massive increase in anxiety and sadness from both children and adults, so we wanted to do what we could to help.”

Funded by schools, social care, the NHS and parents, the Beyond Psychology service has worked in the public sector with the NHS Child and adolescent mental health services, schools and children’s services as well as working alongside occupational therapists, social workers, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, speech and language therapists, and mental health nurses.

Dr Mansell added: “Kirsty and I are ex-NHS clinical psychologists – giving back is something we have always done and want to continue doing, especially now.”

Accessing support

Awakening Minds

• Contact number: 0786 604 7642
• email: awakeningmindscic@gmail.com

Beyond Psychology

Please visit the website – leave your phone number and a few details of what you would like support with and the message ‘call me.’

• www.beyond-psychology.co.uk/contact/