Pilot scheme proves worth of free counselling for troubled young people
An online mental health service for young people that started during lockdown, has completed what it said has been a hugely successful pilot scheme in the Elephant and Castle.
Funded by Delancey Real Estate and the Elephant and Castle town centre project team, the scheme has provided 46 vulnerable young people in the area with free counselling sessions and mental health support.
The good news is the service will continue.
With an ever increasing and concerning number of young people experiencing anxiety and depression, and other mental health issues, Stop.Breathe.Think (SBT) was launched with a mission to support young people with fast, free, and easily accessible online counselling.
When entering details at booking, users are matched to a suitable counsellor to conduct six weekly sessions tailored to their needs. In addition to online services, the charity also has a well-being drop-in service that offers 30-minutes calls with trained counsellors.
The idea for the SBT scheme began during the pandemic when founder Dan Charlish and his team spotted the worrying increase in the mental health issues being experienced by the young people they were supporting in youth charity camps.
Originally intended as a temporary initiative during Covid, the SBT programme went from strength to strength and the pilot in Elephant and Castle and other areas across the country
Mr Charlish and his team are looking to roll out the service across London from September.
Data found that young people attended counselling primarily for anxiety (30 per cent), depression (15 per cent) and anger (15 per cent), with various other issues presented, including eating problems and self-harm.
Delancey, supplied funds to launch the project in Elephant and Castle.
Mr Charlish, founder and chief executive of Stop.Breathe.Think. said: “Finding the mental health support they need is a huge challenge for many young people, and SBT is able to provide this support quickly and effectively.
“We have a big vision to scale the service over coming years and we have learnt so much through delivering this pilot programme.”
Diana Barranco, community director, Elephant and Castle Town Centre said: “In a time when young people’s mental health has become a significant concern, the importance of easy access to counselling sessions cannot be overstated.
“Over the past year, we have provided vital mental health support to local young people through one to one counselling sessions, and the positive feedback and transformative stories we’ve received highlight the profound impact of accessible mental health services.”
Picture top: Pixabay/Mohamed Hassan
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