Multicultural Support

In this section

This content is drawn from the campaigns ran by the Student Voice team on Mental Health Awareness Week – check out the link for more detailed information on the campaign.

Why it's Important

Often, people from Black, Brown and Asian communities experience worse mental health outcomes than their white counterparts, and this can be due to a lack of culturally-sensitive support services.

Culturally-competent support services acknowledge and incorporate an understanding of your identity and heritage into the support provided. These services are specialised in understanding cultural nuances (e.g. language, religion and traditions) and their influence on your experiences.

If you’re experiencing culturally-influenced/specific issues such as within family, relationships, traditions or religious events, or would simply like someone who is closer to and has a better understanding of your culture – the services listed below might be helpful for you.

External Services

There are lots of culutral-specific mental health support services for people in London. Often, they offer advice, counselling and guidance in a range of different languages.

Intercultural Therapy

There are several support services that are for people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds – take a look at the organisations listed below and click on their links to find out more about each service.

Nafsiyat

Nafsiyat offers intercultural therapy and counselling to to people from diverse cultural communities in London, including 1-1, couples and group sessions in over 20 languages.

Online: Nafsiyat Website

Phone: 020 7263 6947

Email: admin@nafsiyat.org.uk

Location: Unit 4, Lysander Mews, Lysander Grove, London, N19 3QP

BAATAN

Black, African & Asian Therapy Network (BAATAN) is one of the largest community networks of counsellors and psychotherapists of Black, African, Asian and Caribbean Heritage in the UK. - Their expertise is in delivering therapy informed by an understanding of intersectionality, with people who identify as Black, African, Asian and Caribbean, to support people from these heritages.You can to find a counsellor/therapist from their online directory of therapists who are self-selected, experienced and qualified.

Online: BAATAN Website

Email: administrator@baatn.org.uk

Social Media: Instagram

Enfield Saheli

Enfield Saheli is charity is run by women to support women of all ethnicities, with specific support for domestic abuse, an advice service, craft and exercise classes. They provide multi-lingual and culturally appropriate counselling, weekly drop in sessions and awareness session for those in Enfield and nearby London boroughs.

The charity formed because many issues limiting the lives of women living in Asia continue to affect Asian women in the UK – alongside cultural barriers making it difficult to reach out for suitable help.

Online: Enfield Saheli Website

Phone : 020 837 36218

Email: info@enfieldsaheli.org

Location: Community House, 311 Fore Street, Edmonton N9 OPZ

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Black Community

There are many support services for people with Black African and Caribbean backgrounds. There are some national and London-based organisations listed below - click on their links to find out more about each service.

The Empowerment Group

The Empowerment Group supports people of Black African and Caribbean heritage aged 18 and over in the UK facing mental health challenges. They provide free and heavily subsidised 1:1 culturally appropriate therapy.

Online: teg Website

The Black Wellbeing Collective

The Black Wellbeing Collective is a mental health service that prioritises the lived experiences of the Black community to heal from racial trauma, bias, racism and discrimination, as a digital platform for collective healing. They provide self-care talks, creative workshops, healing circles and holistic recovery services.

Online: BWC Website

Email: hello@theblackwellbeingcollective.com

Social Media: Instagram

IRIE Mind

IRIE Mind is a mental health initiative, run by and for the African-Caribbean community in Hackney. by Mind in City. They services specific to adult and young people - ranging from self-care workshops, managing emotions, PIP applications and supports groups.

Online: IRIE Mind Website

Email: IRIEMind@mindchwf.org.uk

Phone: 020 8985 3153, or, 020 8985 4239

Location: The Recovery Hub, 15a, Homerton Row, Hackney, E9 6ED, London

Opening Hours: Mon, Thur and Fri between 10am-1pm and 2-4pm

Black River Counselling

The Black River counselling is a free online service supporting people of Black African/African-Caribbean heritage. It provides up to eight (8) weeks of 50-minute online counselling to Lambeth adults. If you are a key worker, a young adult (aged 18+), an elder or someone who needs to talk, please get in touch.

Online: Black River Counselling Website

Email: IRIEMind@mindchwf.org.uk

Phone: 08081 963 007 (voicemail service)

Asian Community

There are some support services for people from all areas of the Asian community. There are some London-based organisations listed below - click on their links to find out more about each service.

The Asian Family Counselling Service

The Asian Family Counselling Service provides low-cost confidential counselling for Asian individuals, couples and families facing stress. They provide culturally sensitive and confidential counselling in Urdu, Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi and English, offered face-to-face or over the phone. They also offer self-help groups for those with Asian heritage experiencing postnatal depression, depression, self-harm and abuse.

Online: Asian Family Counselling Website

Phone: 020 8574 0912

Email: admin@asianfamily.co.uk

Location: F1 Unit 4, Triangle Centre, 399 Uxbridge Road, Southall UB1 3EJ

Kanlungan Filipino Consortium

Kanlungan provides support and advice for Filipino migrants and other ESEA migrants who are experiencing distress such as anxiety, loneliness, isolation and grief.

Online: Kanlungan Website

Phone: 020 3983 1871

Email: info@kanlungan.co.uk

Location: Unit 101, Pelican House, 138-148 Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, London E1 5QJ

South Asian Therapists

South Asian Therapists is a modern directory of culturally competent South Asian therapists. The directory features therapists from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Nepal. They also have a bank of self help and mental health resources on their site too.

Online: South Asian Therapists Website

Email: info@southasiantherapists.org

Social Media: Instagram

AMARDEEP

South Asian Community Mental Health Service, or AMARDEEP, is a community-based assessment, treatment and advice service people in the South Asian community living in the London Borough of Lambeth. They support individual’s aged 18-65 who have a range of mental health and complex social care problems.

Online: AMARDEEP Website

Phone: 020 3228 8100

Location: 380 Streatham High Road, Streatham, London SW16 6HP

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

MENA Region

There are some specific support services for people from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Broadly, the organisations listed below are London-based - click on their links to find out more about each service.

Harbor London

Harbor is a luxury mental health and addiction support service for those in London. They also offer exclusive Arabic services, as the only rehabilitation service provider in London that focuses on one client at a time, offering Arabic-speaking therapies, under complete anonymity and confidentiality. They understand the influence of cultural expectations on the likelihood to seek support, and how this can impact individuals struggling with mental health.

Online: Harbor Website

Phone: +44 (0)203 918 3335

Email: talktous@harborlondon.com

Location: The Harbor Home, 40 Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW1W 0EB

Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women’s Centre

Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women’s Centre is an all-female staff group that serves the health, welfare, educational and cultural needs of Moroccan and Arabic-speaking women in Kensington & Chelsea and across London. Through their Mental Health Project, they offer individual support for Arabic-speaking women who suffer from enduring mental health problems and live in the Royal borough of Kensington & Chelsea.

Online: Al-Hasaniya Website

Phone: 020 30 48 44 88

Email: contact@al-hasaniya.org.uk

Location: Bays 4 & 5, Trellick Tower, Golborne Road, London W10 5PA

Muslim Youth Helpline (MYH)

MYH is a free and confidential listening service that provide culturally sensitive support for practicing individuals. They provide non-judgemental, non-directional and empowering advice. Their advisers offer confidential and culturally sensitive support, as they understand the issues Muslim communicates face.

Online: MYH Website

Phone: 0808 808 2008 – Call or Text via WhatsApp

Opening Hours: Mon- Sun, 4 - 10pm

Email: help@myh.org.uk

If you would like to talk to someone about the organisations listed on this page, and figure out which is most suitable for you – reach out to us at the Advice Service and we’re happy to talk.