How to Truly Be There: A Guide to Supporting a Loved One This Christmas
By Caroline Harroe (Harmless CEO) Dear Friend / Family Member, The Christmas season, with its twinkling lights and festive expectations, can sometimes cast long, lonely shadows. If you are reading this, chances are you are worried about someone you care about – perhaps you’ve noticed they’re quieter, more withdrawn, or just ‘not themselves’. It can […]
Living Loss
By Vicky Lott (Training & Education Officer) With Christmas fast approaching, our thoughts turn to family and friends both past or present… but what if that family is both past and present? They’re still out there somewhere but – for whatever reason – they’ve decided to go ‘no contact’ with you and you’re facing the […]
Beyond the Festive Front: How to Cope When Family Gatherings Feel Overwhelming
By Caroline Harroe (Harmless CEO) We’ve all been there: trapped between Aunt Carol’s insistent questions about your love life and the crushing internal weight of having to look ‘merry and bright’. The pressure to perform happiness at Christmas is exhausting, and it eats up the precious energy you need to stay safe. When you live […]
What Does Christmas Look Like to You?
By Helen Birch (Training & Education Officer) What does Christmas and the festive period look like to you? Twinkling lights, adorned trees, aromas that stir fond memories, certain songs on repeat year after year, warmth, wonder and beauty, a sense of belonging and togetherness? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Christmas is ‘the festival marking […]
New Year, New You? Why Realistic Goals Matter More Than Resolutions
By Helen Birch (Training & Education Officer) Every year, as the calendar turns, we’re encouraged to embrace the mantra: ‘New Year, New You’. It’s marketed as a fresh start, a chance to reinvent ourselves, take on new goals, and leave behind anything we feel hasn’t served us. But at Harmless, we take a more compassionate […]
The Two Faces of Loneliness: Why Being Alone Isn’t Always the Same as Feeling Alone
By Caroline Harroe (Harmless CEO) There’s a picture in my head, vivid as a bad dream, from my early 20s. I was at a bustling house party, music thumping, laughter echoing, surrounded by what felt like a hundred people. I remember standing by the buffet table, pretending to be utterly captivated by a bowl of […]
The Distraction Toolkit: 7 Digital Ways to Delay an Urge
By Caroline Harroe (Harmless CEO) The urge – that relentless, hot, demanding pressure – shows up uninvited. It operates on a single principle: ‘I am the only way out’. You feel the familiar signs: the emotional pressure mounts, your thoughts begin to spiral, and suddenly the dangerous coping mechanism – whether it’s self harm, reckless […]
First Speakers Confirmed: The 11th National Self Harm & Suicide Prevention Conference 2026
Harmless – the national centre of excellence for self harm and suicide prevention – is delighted to announce its first plenary speakers and workshop leaders for its 2026 From Harm to Hope conference. This CPD-accredited event brings together experts, leading academics and professionals from across the sector for a powerful day of evidence-based insights, practical […]
Accessing a Food Bank
This winter, tens of thousands of people will need an emergency food parcel from a food bank in the Trussell community – many for the first time. This week’s blog has been supplied by Trussell to provide practical information for accessing support. If you find yourself needing to visit a food bank, getting support is […]
Fuel Poverty Awareness Day: Shining a Light on a Hidden Crisis
By Hemali Parekh (Project Worker – Social, Housing and Financial Support) Wednesday 26th November is Fuel Poverty Awareness Day – an important reminder of the ongoing energy crisis that has affected millions of households over the past four years. While many of us take warm homes and hot meals for granted, this basic need is […]