Frequently Asked Questions

Who is James?
James’ Place was founded by Clare Milford Haven and Nick Wentworth-Stanley following the tragic death of their son James. Aged just 21, James took his own life ten days after a minor operation. He sought help for his anxiety and suicidal thoughts but didn’t find the urgent help he so desperately needed. Clare and Nick were determined to prevent other families from losing the men they love and set up the charity to help men in suicidal crisis.

Who do you help?
James’ Place offers free, life-saving treatment to men, and those who identify as men, aged 18 and over who are in suicidal crisis at our centres in Liverpool, London and Newcastle. Men must be willing and able to engage in talking therapy and be registered or eligible for registration with a GP for continued care and support after our treatment has ended.

What do you mean by suicidal crisis?
The men we treat are in a suicidal crisis largely driven by life events such as a relationship breakdown, financial problems or bereavement. We define a suicidal crisis as intense and distressing suicidal thoughts, feelings of hopelessness and despair, plans or intent to act on suicidal thoughts and/or a recent suicide attempt.

What form does the treatment take?
Our treatment takes place at our safe, friendly, non-clinical centres, usually over six to eight face to face sessions with one of our trained therapists over the course of around a month. We see men quickly with no waiting list – usually within 48 hours. Our professional therapists get quickly to the heart of a man’s suicidal crisis and help him solve it.

What is unique about the treatment? Is it just talking therapy?
We are unique because our free treatment is proven to work, quick to access and delivered in a safe, friendly, non-clinical environment by trained, professional therapists. We work alongside the NHS and other local support services, taking on clinical responsibility for the men we treat.

Our therapists are specially trained to help the men who come to us understand how and why they got to crisis point and help them to learn new ways of coping. Our service is also unique due to the rigorous, independent evaluation we use, which measures not only levels of psychological distress but feelings of entrapment, a key risk factor for suicide. This evaluation shows that men who use our service see, on average, a clinically and statistically significant positive change in their mental wellbeing following their treatment and reduced levels of psychological distress and feelings of entrapment.

Who delivers the treatment?
We have a team of trained. professional therapists who can see up to 450 men per year at James’ Place London, 350 in Liverpool and 300-350 in Newcastle.

What are your opening hours?
We operate 9.30-5.30 Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays.

How can men access support from you?
The first step is to fill in a referral form. We will typically get back to a man within 4 hours and make an appointment at one of our centres within 48 hours.

Can I refer someone else for treatment?
Men can self-refer or be referred to James’ Place by a professional including those working in health and community services, or by a friend or family member. Click here for more information.

Does the treatment stop men feeling suicidal?
Yes, our treatment has been proven to reduce suicidality in men and makes a life-changing difference to individuals, their families, their communities, and the wider system.  Independent research shows that, on average, men who have attended James’ Place Liverpool from 2018-2022 experienced a clinically and statistically significant positive change in their mental wellbeing following their treatment, and reduced levels of psychological distress. The men were no longer considered to be in suicidal crisis due to a reduction in thoughts around suicide, plans and intention to act on suicidal thoughts, and risk-taking behaviour. The research also showed there was a statistically significant reduction in feelings of entrapment, a key indicator of psychological distress.

What happens at the end of the intervention?
Our trained therapists will complete a full assessment of the intervention, and should any further intervention be deemed advisable, they will be recommended to the man’s GP with their full knowledge.

How much does it cost?
Our treatment is free to men in suicidal crisis. James’ Place is a charity and is almost entirely funded by charitable donations. It costs around £1,800 to treat one man who needs our support and over £2 million to set up and run a centre for three years.

Why do you only support men?
We treat men primarily because men consistently account for over 75% of suicides in the UK. We also know that in general men are less likely to access psychological therapies than women: only 36% of referrals to NHS talking therapies are for men, so our founders felt very strongly that designing a service only for men would be more successful at saving lives than one aimed at both men and women. For information on services that can support women please visit the Women’s Suicide Prevention Hub.

Can you recommend other therapists/counsellors?
Unfortunately we can’t recommend therapists/counsellors who don’t work for James’ Place, but we recommend looking on the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

How can I access support from you?
The first step is to visit our website and fill in a referral form. We will typically get back to you within 4 hours and make an appointment for you at one of our centres within 48 hours. If you are in need of more urgent help, please visit your local walk-in centre or A&E as soon as possible or call 111 and select option two. You can also find immediate support by calling Samaritans or texting SHOUT to 85258.

Can I just turn up at one of your centres?
James’ Place is available by appointment only. If you are a man in suicidal crisis in London, the North East or the North West and need help please click here. We will respond to you quickly within our opening hours and we do not operate a waiting list.

What should I do if I need help outside opening hours?
If you are in need of urgent help, please visit your local walk-in centre or A&E as soon as possible or call 111 and select option two. You can also find immediate support by calling Samaritans or texting SHOUT to 85258.