Annabelle Kelly UKCP, MBACP 

To find a private therapist in your area

• Counselling Directory
• National Counselling Society
• UKCP Find A Therapist
  
• BACP Therapist Directory
• BABCP - to find a CBT therapist

Some mindfulness / meditation resources (websites)

• What is mindfulness?
• Center for Mindful Self-Compassion - This is a new wesbite combining the meditations of Chris Germer and Kristin Neff. It has different resources but this directs you straight to the meditation page, which you can download or listen to via web browser.
• This Beautiful Work – Joanna has recorded and made available some mini-meditations, I particularly like Presuming Okayness (scroll down page to locate.)
• Meditation Oasis - has all sorts of resources (most free!) so take a look!
• Meditation Oasis podcast is fabulous. They have many guided meditations – including anger and inner child* – you can either listen from your web browser or subscribe and listen on your mobile device.
• Eckhart Tolle You Tube Channel -  awakening to presence and spiritual practice

*Inner child work can be a very powerful emotional experience; please be mindful of your capacity to engage with this material and take care of yourself/seek support as/if necessary

Some mindfulness / meditation / anxiety resources (smart phone apps)

• Breath Ball - I love this app because you can change settings to suit your breath capacity. Simple, effective. If you are stressed, anxious, depressed, panicked, try it.
• What's Up? - I think this is a lovely, simple and free app with loads of resources to help manage emotional storms.
• Stop, Breathe, Think – free, but I think you have to register.
• Insight Timer – simple bell chimes (and background sounds if you like) to facilitate your own guided meditations.
• Meditation Oasis - they do a good sleep meditation.
• Headspace – free and paid for services.

Videos

• Brene Brown - presented on the power of vulnerability (watch this first) and shame. As well as being hugely important topics, she is also a fantastic speaker.
• Also Brene Brown - a fabulous presentation on Netflix.
• Jill Bolte - this video blows my left and right brain to peices! It is such a wonderful experiential story of what it is like to be fully be in your right brain (the 'emotional" brain) when the left brain ('the thinking brain") doesn't function any more. From a brain researcher who had a stroke. Beautiful viewing!
• Iain McGilchrist - more right brain / left brain stuff
• Gabor Mate - probably my most favoutire guru, wide ranging interviews , books and presentations on trauma, addiction, ADHD (here's just one of many offerings)
• Richard Schwartz - Founder of the Internal Family Systems model, a very helpful model that can be practiced by all

Diet and nutrition

Another tool to add to your mood maintenance toolbox is an awareness of your diet and nutritional intake.

• Dale Pinnock – I really like Dale’s approach to food and nutrition and he has some tasty, simple (usually!) and affordable recipes.
• Jack Monroe - this wonderful woman, (at the time) a single mother on the dole and with very little money, was inspired to produce super affordable recipies. A legend!
• Food and Your Mood - A lovely leaflet produced by Nottingham University Hospitals.

Exercise

It can be difficult to engage in exercise when you are not feeling well mentally. But when you feel up to it, you might like these free resources.

• The Body Coach on You Tube
• Yoga with Adrienne on You Tube

Books

• Why Love Matters by Sue Gerhardt - this is a great read and I think quite accessible even without any knowledge of neuroscience. Sue talks about how we are shaped neurobiologically/emotionally by our attachment figures and relationships and how love is key to our human experience.
• The Mindful Path to Self Compassion by Christopher Germer
• The Mindful Way Through Depression by John Kabat-Zinn et al

• The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living - Frank Ostaseski

• Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor - a lovely book on breathing (the clue is in the title)
• Journey of the Heart: The Path of Conscious Love by John Welwood - a great read, if you want to explore your struggles in intimate relationships
• Getting The Love You Want by Harville Hendrix - another great resource for relationship struggles
• The Drama of Being a Child by Alice Miller - a brillaint read, maybe more geared towards therapists, but think everyone should read this
• Man's Search For Meaning by Vikto E. Frankl - a seminal book, should be read by all, although drew criticism from some whose relatives did not survive the holocaust
• The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Peck - another classic in self help books
• No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma & Restoring Wholeness with the IFS Model by Richard S. Schwartz
• Healing From Trauma: A Survivor's Guide by Jasmin Lee Cori - one of my particular favourites from all the trauma focussed books
• Recovery of Your Inner Child by Lucia Capacchione
• Anything by Irvin Yalom - an existential psychiatrist, I love his book When Nietzsche Wept

Feeling isolated and want to connect with others?

• Meet Up – tap in your postcode and search for stuff you like to do.

Local support groups

Google local support groups in your area. For example:

• Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS)
• The Survivors Trust (for men and women who have suffered any form of sexual abuse, violence or rape as either adults and/or as children)

Further links

Mind - a wonderful mental health charity that has an abundance of resources

Sane - another wonderful charity that also offers a helpline for clients and carers, family, friends

Rape Crisis England and Wales - supporting women (predominately) who have survived rape, sexual abuse, assault and/or domestic violence

The Survivors Trust - supporting male and female survivors of rape, sexual violence and/or childhood sexual abuse

Womans Trust - helping women affected by domestic violence

Safeline - support for men, women and children who have survied sexual abuse and rape

Talk to Frank - a sustance abuse resource

CCI - a brilliant resource (CBT focussed)

Get Self Help - another brilliant CBT focussed resource

Psychology Tools - another great CBT resource, but have to pay if you want unlimited access