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 […]
Transgender Day of Remembrance
By Laura Hughes (Clinical Manager) Today (20th November) marks Transgender Day of Remembrance. This day has been observed annually since 1999, in memory of all trans people who have died as a result of transphobia. Harmless and The Tomorrow Project provide life-saving self harm, suicide crisis and suicide bereavement support, so today we are particularly […]
Why We Talk Openly About Suicide Loss
By Megan Dooley (Training & Education Officer) At the Academy at Harmless, we deliver suicide bereavement training. It’s a session that covers the emotional and physical symptoms of grief, the impact of stigma on those left behind, and how to provide effective emotional and practical support to anyone impacted after a loss through suicide. It’s […]
The Battles You Can’t See: Living with Invisible Mental Illness
By Helen Birch (Training & Education Officer) Our blog today is informed by my sister’s experiences of living with serious mental illness; she has bravely chosen to give full consent for her experiences to be shared, as she hopes that this will allow people to truly see the realities faced by many people on a […]
Showing Up for Communities: Reflections from Stevenage
By Helen Birch (Training & Education Officer) Recently, I had the privilege of stepping out of the training room and into the heart of the community. I travelled to Stevenage to take part in a powerful community awareness event organised by The Samaritans, and it was another reminder of exactly why I do this work. […]
Join Our Choir for Hope – Now Meeting Every Other Week
Harmless is launching a brand-new support offer – and we’d love for you to be part of it! We’ve created a Choir for Hope, a unique opportunity to come together, sing and connect under the expert guidance of renowned choirmaster Kari Olsen-Porthouse from The Liberty Singers, alongside our own experienced and compassionate team. We are […]