Calm Harm – manage self-harm

The urge to self-harm is like a wave. It feels the most powerful when you start wanting to do it.

Join over 2 million users and learn to ride the wave with the free Calm Harm app by choosing activities from these categories: Comfort, Distract, Express Yourself, Release, and Random.

There is also a breathing technique to help be mindful and stay in the moment, regulate difficult emotions and reduce tension.

When you ride the wave, the urge to self-harm will fade.

Calm Harm is an award-winning app developed for teenage mental health charity stem4 by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Nihara Krause, in collaboration with young people, using principles from the evidence-based Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). It is built to NHS standards and approved by ORCHA.

Calm Harm provides some immediate techniques to help break the cycle of self-harm behaviours and explore underlying trigger factors; build a ‘safety net’ of helpful thoughts, behaviours and access to supportive people; and provides the opportunity to journal and self-reflect. It also provides signposts to help.

The Calm Harm app is private, anonymous and safe.

Reviews from Calm Harm app users:

• ‘This app helps me so much. I can't thank you enough for improving my life.’
• ‘I was told by my support worker to download this, best thing I ever did!! It’s helped me a lot through the tough times and I would definitely recommend this!!!’
• ‘This app saves lives. It is a beautiful, beautiful tool. Thank you endlessly.’


Awards for Calm Harm include:
• Health Tech Awards Winner ‘Best Healthcare App of the Year’ 2021
• Digital Leaders 100 Awards Winner ‘Tech for Good Initiative of the Year’ 2020 (for stem4’s app portfolio, including Calm Harm)
• Third Sector Awards Winner ‘Digital Innovation of the Year’ 2019


Please note that the Calm Harm app is not a substitute for the assessment and individualised treatment by a health/mental health professional.

Please also note that if you forget both your passcode and security answer, these cannot be reset as we do not create user accounts. You will need to reinstall the app, losing any previous data.