Free self-help resources
Workbooks, guides, apps and short courses from public health services, universities and the WHO. All free. Checked by hand, sorted by topic and language.
I am a person-centred counsellor, and much of what is listed here comes from other traditions, especially CBT, ACT and DBT. That is deliberate. Different things help different people, and good self-help material from these approaches has a strong research base. Use what fits you and leave the rest.
- Free guides to understanding therapy and counselling8 free resources · English, Arabic, Bengali, Welsh, other languages (selected leaflets), German, French
- Free mental health resources for living abroad7 free resources · English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Dari, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Nepali, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Tigrinya, Swahili, Greek, Czech, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Korean, Japanese, and about 20 more, other languages on the site, Dutch, Albanian, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Kurdish (Kurmanji and Sorani), Tamil, Georgian, Pashto, Chechen
- Free mental health resources for pregnancy and after birth9 free resources · English, other languages (Insider Guides), Spanish, German, French, Dutch
- Free mindfulness and self-compassion resources7 free resources · English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Armenian, Farsi, Filipino, Hindi, Russian, Vietnamese, American Sign Language, Portuguese, Turkish, Chinese, Dutch
- Free resources for eating difficulties and body image9 free resources · English, Welsh, German, Dutch, French
- Free safety information on domestic abuse for women13 free resources · English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, German, Italian, Turkish, Persian, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Albanian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Macedonian, Polish, Romani, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Portuguese, Ukrainian, Serbian, Vietnamese, Farsi/Dari, Kurmanji, Catalan, Basque, Galician, Bangla, Hindi, Mandarin, Nepali, Dutch
- Free self-help resources after trauma7 free resources · English, German, French, Dutch
- Free self-help resources for alcohol and drug use11 free resources · English, other languages (varies by meeting), German, French, Italian, Dutch
- Free self-help resources for anxiety15 free resources · English, British Sign Language, German, Dutch, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Hindi, Farsi, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese
- Free self-help resources for grief and loss9 free resources · English, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Hindi, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Tamil, Ukrainian, Urdu, Welsh, British Sign Language, Spanish, German, Dutch
- Free self-help resources for low mood and depression15 free resources · English, British Sign Language, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch
- Free self-help resources for low self-esteem7 free resources · English, Spanish, Dutch
- Free self-help resources for perfectionism and procrastination9 free resources · English, German, Dutch
- Free self-help resources for relationships and communication10 free resources · English, Spanish, Dutch, German
- Free self-help resources for sleep problems and insomnia13 free resources · English, British Sign Language, German, Dutch, French
- Free self-help resources for stress13 free resources · English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish, Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Chinese, Amharic, Swahili, Dutch, British Sign Language
- Free self-help resources for strong emotions and distress13 free resources · English, Spanish, British Sign Language, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Ukrainian, Turkish, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese
Questions people ask
Why link to other websites instead of hosting the workbooks here?
Most of the best resources are free to use but not free to republish. Linking to the original keeps you on the publisher's most up-to-date version and respects their terms. Each entry says who made it, what format it is, which languages it comes in and whether it needs an account.
Is self-help enough?
For some people, at some times, yes. Structured self-help based on CBT has good evidence for mild to moderate anxiety and low mood. If things are getting worse, if you can't function day to day, or if you feel unsafe, please speak to a GP or use the helplines page.
Do you get anything for recommending these?
No. There are no affiliate links and no sponsorship. Resources are included because they come from trustworthy publishers, are free, and are useful.