Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing how we think, feel, and behave. If you are experiencing a mental health problem, we want to help you find the support that best suits your needs. 

If you need urgent mental health advice or are worried about your safety, free help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 

• By Phone (NHS Connection Helpline): Call 0800 652 0190. You will speak directly to a local NHS mental health professional who can assess your needs and connect you to further support. Calls are completely free.
• By Phone (Samaritans): Call 116 123 to talk to someone at any time, day or night.
• By Text Message (Shout): Text the word "SHOUT" to 85258. You will be connected to a trained volunteer for a free, anonymous text conversation. This service is free from all major UK mobile networks.
• Online: Visit the NHS Dorset HealthCare Access Mental Health Services Web Page for local crisis resources.

If negative thoughts and feelings are impacting your day-to-day life, contacting the practice is an excellent first step. 

We understand that opening up about your deepest feelings to a GP or Practice Nurse isn’t always easy—especially if it is with someone you do not know well.

To help you prepare, the mental health charity Mind has created a short animated film and guide packed with tips on how to find the words to talk to your doctor. 

• Watch the video: View the Mind Video Guide on Talking to Your GP About Mental Health.

Harmony is a Bridport-based charity providing friendly support, advice, and free weekly activities to hundreds of local people across West Dorset.

Their goal is to ensure no one feels alone in their struggles and to remind us that seeking help is a sign of strength.

All Harmony services are free and open to anyone aged 18 and over on a drop-in basis—no clinical referral or pre-booked appointment is needed. Harmony can support you in three ways:

1. Drop-in Support: Relax at their welcoming main centre on the St Michael’s Trading Estate in Bridport.
2. Bridport Community Front Room: Access evening crisis mental health support.
3. Access Wellbeing Service: Get early, person-centred help to prevent your mental health or practical concerns from escalating. They provide guidance on mental health as well as daily worries like finances, work, or housing.

Lyme Regis Drop-In Clinic:

• When: Every Monday from 10:00am to 3:00pm (10:00 – 15:00).
• Where: The Guildhall, Bridge Street, Lyme Regis.
• Booking: No appointment needed, just drop in.

Contact Harmony:

• Telephone: 01308 801154
• Email: info@theharmonycentre.org.uk
• Website: Find full opening times on the Harmony Charity Website.

If you are feeling low, anxious, or are struggling to cope with a long-term physical health condition, Steps2Wellbeing can help. This is a free, confidential NHS service for anyone aged 18 or over registered with a Dorset GP.

How to sign up: You do not need a doctor's referral to use this service. You can sign up quickly and privately on your own:

• Online Registration: Complete the online form on the Steps2Wellbeing Website.
• Telephone Registration: Call the team on
  0800 484 0500.
• Download Service Details: Read the Steps2Wellbeing Service Leaflet.

Specialist Programs Available:

• Body and Mind Service: Specifically designed to help improve your emotional wellbeing if you live with a long-term health condition such as diabetes, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), chronic pain, lung conditions, heart conditions, or stroke recovery.
• Employment Support: Specialist employment advisers can assist you with managing stress at work, returning to a job after a period of absence, or navigating a search for new employment.

If your child or teenager is struggling with their mental health, support is available for both them and you as a parent or carer.

If your child or teenager is struggling with their mental health, support is available for both them and you as a parent or carer.

Online and Digital Resources

• NHS Youth Mental Health Hub: Discover guidance explicitly tailored for children, teenagers, students, and parents by visiting the NHS Children and Young People’s Mental Health Hub.
• Healthier Together: Find local, trusted clinical advice on young people's emotional wellbeing on the Healthier Together Website.
• Kooth: A free, safe, and anonymous online mental wellbeing community designed specifically for young people aged 11 to 18. Young people can access support directly at the Kooth Online Community Website.

Social Prescribing gives young people living in West Dorset the opportunity to boost their wellbeing in a non-medical way. A dedicated youth social prescriber helps them discover new local activities, build community connections, and find tailored support.

• Age and Consent: This service is available for children and young people. In most cases, children under the age of 16 will require consent from a parent or carer to join.
• Guide for Parents: Download our Lyme Bay Medical Practice Parent and Carer Guide to Social Prescribing (PDF) to learn how this service helps children identify what matters to them.
• Contact the Youth Team: Call 01308 428943 or email your query to jcsocialprescribing@dorsetgp.nhs.uk.

Social Prescribers from the Jurassic Coast Primary Care Network (PCN) work directly alongside our medical team. They provide extra time, an open ear, and practical support to help you live a healthier, happier life by connecting you to community groups and statutory services.

A Social Prescriber can support you if:

• You need connections to lifestyle or mental health support, such as healthy eating programs or smoking cessation services.
• You are feeling isolated or lonely and want to become more active in your local community.
• You are feeling overwhelmed or stressed by practical worries like work, housing, or money.

Access Social Prescribing Resources:

• Download Leaflet:  Read Jurassic Coast PCN Social Prescribing Leaflet (PDF) to learn more about how the service works.
• Resource Library:  Browse a verified collection of local and national services curated by our team by visiting the Social Prescribing Online Resource Library
• Contact the Team: speak to a social prescriber by calling 01308 428943 or emailing jcsocialprescribing@dorsetgp.nhs.uk.

General NHS Guidance: For comprehensive mental health resources and self-help tools, visit the Main NHS Mental Health and Wellbeing Website.

Are you a carer? If you look after someone living with dementia or a mental health condition, please visit our dedicated Lyme Bay Medical Practice Carers Support page for local carer resources.