Coming to a new country as a refugee, asylum seeker or forced migrant can be incredibly hard. It can affect your day-to-day life in ways that are difficult to put into words — and some of the thoughts and feelings you carry can feel overwhelming. 

We are here for you. We offer free, confidential support in Croydon to young people aged 11–25 who are refugees, asylum seekers or forced migrants. We can help with a wide range of things, including trauma, loss, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, isolation and sleep problems. 

Interpreters are available on request.

If you're referring a young person to our Refugee Service, please read the following guidance carefully. 

Who We Support 

We provide counselling to young refugees aged 11–25 who live or study in Croydon, or who have a Croydon Council social worker. 

We accept referrals for young people who: 

• live in Croydon, or have a Croydon Council social worker (even if placed in another borough) 

• are refugees, asylum seekers, or forced migrants 

• are aged 11–25 

• want mental health and wellbeing support 

• are able to engage in therapeutic support — either one-to-one or in a group 

What We Can Help With

Our Refugee Service specialises in counselling for refugees, asylum seekers, and forced migrants experiencing low to moderate psychological distress, including: 

• depression 

• anxiety and stress 

• low-risk presentations of PTSD 

• loss or bereavement 

• sleep difficulties 

• difficulties with transition, adjustment, or isolation 

Please note: we are not a crisis service. If a young person is experiencing high-risk symptoms — such as auditory or visual hallucinations, active suicidal ideation, significant impairment to daily functioning, or delusional, paranoid, or unusual thoughts — they will need to be referred to their GP or the local A&E department.

Before you refer, make sure that the young person: 

• meets our referral criteria 

• is willing and able to attend weekly sessions (or has support to do so) 

• understands that counselling involves talking about their life and difficulties, which can sometimes bring up challenging or upsetting topics 

Completing the Referral Form 

Please give as much information as you can — incomplete forms will be returned, which may delay the process. To use the tick-box function, please open the form in the desktop version of Word. 

Once the referral form is completed, return it by email to youngrefugees@talkofftherecord.org.

Anyone is welcome to contact us — whether you're a young person looking for support, or a carer or professional wanting to make a referral. 

You can reach our Refugee Service by phone on 020 7154 1040 or by email at youngrefugees@talkofftherecord.org 

If you're a young person, get in touch and we'll talk you through what support is available. We'll ask you for a little information about yourself and let you know when you can meet a counsellor. 

Information sheets available in multiple languages, including English, Amharic, Arabic, Albanian, Dari, Farsi, French, Kurdish Sorani, Pashto, Somali, Tigrinya, and Vietnamese.

• Sleeping Difficulties
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder