How It's Complicated works
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Find your therapistUse our free matching service for personal recommendations, or browse our network of 2,500+ therapists yourself.
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Create your free accountSign up in under 2 minutes. All you need is an email and a password, and you're ready to go.
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Start therapyReach out to your therapist and book your first session within 24 hours. Online or in person, in 60+ languages.
Learn more about crisis intervention
Crisis intervention is immediate, focused psychological support for someone going through acute distress or an emotional crisis. If you are in immediate danger, at risk of harming yourself, or unable to keep yourself safe right now, please contact a crisis line or your local emergency number: It's Complicated is not an emergency service and cannot provide immediate crisis response. For ongoing support through and after a difficult period, crisis intervention focuses on restoring a sense of safety and stability in the present, easing overwhelming feelings, and helping you find your next steps, rather than on long-term exploration. It is often a first step towards regular therapy once the immediate crisis has settled.
A crisis is defined by how overwhelming it feels to you, not by whether it looks serious enough from the outside. You do not have to justify reaching out.
Support might help if:
- You feel unable to cope with what is happening, and the distress feels constant
- A traumatic event, sudden loss, or shock has left you struggling to function
- Stress has built to a point where it feels unmanageable
- You feel overwhelmed, panicked, or emotionally flooded much of the time
- You are managing the immediate danger but need support to get through the coming weeks
- You want help processing a crisis once the most acute moment has passed
Support during and after a crisis focuses first on stabilising, then on recovery. These approaches work alongside emergency services and any clinical care you may need, not in place of them.
Counselling offers immediate, supportive space to talk through what is happening and begin to feel less alone with it. It suits the early stage of getting steady again.
Solution-focused therapy concentrates on the immediate next steps that help you regain control, rather than analysing the past. It can be useful when you need practical direction quickly.
Trauma informed care shapes support around safety and trust, which matters when a crisis follows a traumatic or overwhelming event. It ensures the help never adds to the distress.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) helps you manage the intense thoughts and reactions a crisis brings, and gradually rebuild stability. It is often useful in the recovery phase.
Psychotherapy provides longer-term space to process what happened once the acute phase has passed, and to build resilience against future crises.
Choosing an approach isn't something you have to do alone. IC's matching can pair you with a therapist whose approach suits your situation. Get matched.
It's Complicated is a therapist-founded mental health platform connecting clients with verified practitioners across Europe and globally, in over 60 languages. The platform is free to use, with over 2,500 vetted therapists offering in-person sessions in cities including Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, and Vienna, alongside online sessions worldwide.
It's Complicated is not an emergency or crisis service, but it can connect you with a therapist experienced in crisis and acute distress for ongoing support. When you complete the matching survey, you can indicate that you are in crisis, and the matching prioritises therapists suited to that. Our psychologists combine data-driven insights with human judgement to identify the right therapists for your situation, and you choose from a shortlist. You can also browse our directory directly if you'd prefer to choose yourself.
Get matched with a therapist experienced in crisis support, or browse the directory.
If you need help right now and cannot keep yourself safe, please contact a crisis line or your local emergency number.
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