Our vision is for a world that does not stigmatise young people’s mental health and accepts it as a normal part of human development.
To provide early intervention services to prevent the development of more serious problems caused by mental or physical ill health or other challenging circumstances, by providing support and advice (in particular, but not exclusively, by providing professional counselling services), to young people and their families regardless of difference, background or identity who live, work or study in Reading and the surrounding area.
We have lived experience staff team members, and Young Ambassadors who are a team of 16-25 year olds who are passionate about supporting young people in the community and often do this by sharing their own mental health stories.
Demand for our services has never been higher, with young people being disproportionately
impacted by the pandemic. Over 900 young people and their families have asked us for
help in the last 12 months alone.
Counselling takes place on at the same time each week, and sessions last up to 50 minutes. You will always see the same counsellor.
All No5’s services are free and confidential. You do not need to be referred to us by a GP or any other professional, or have a diagnosis of a mental health condition to be able to access help.
In-person sessions run between 4 and 9pm Monday – Friday. Online and telephone sessions can also run during the day and over the weekend. You will be able to choose which works best for you.
At No5 we have created a series of reports that aim to provide valuable insights and information on various topics related to young people’s mental health, helping to educate and inform individuals, communities and organisations about the latest developments and best practices.
Young people have told us about these outcomes following counselling:
