This World Mental Health Day, we want to shine a light on the support available through NHS Talking Therapies. This blog has been written by Victoria Robertson and Tamzin Broderick, High Intensity Therapists at our Warrington Talking Therapies service.

Did you know you can self-refer to NHS Talking therapies?

If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties with their mental health particularly anxiety or depression, you can help them self-refer to an NHS Talking Therapies service in your area. With their consent, you can even do this on their behalf. A GP or medical professional referral is not necessary, although your GP or other professionals can, of course, make a referral.

Talking Therapies supports anyone aged 16 or over. Don't hesitate to reach out, we all need to look after ourselves.

1. Finding a service

Talking therapies is a national scheme for anxiety and depression, so you should be able to find a service almost anywhere in the UK. Treatment interventions are delivered by highly skilled practitioners using methods fully supported by research and recommended by NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence).

To find a Talking therapies service near you, simply go to the NHS website and use the service finder to locate and contact your local talking therapies service.

Please note: NHS Talking Therapies is not a crisis service if you need urgent help dial 999, or call NHS 111 and select option 2.

2. Initial assessment

Following an initial assessment, you will be offered the most suitable treatment intervention for your needs. The service will always try to include you in decisions about what support or intervention is offered. For example, it might suit you to have treatment remotely, online rather than face to face or even on the phone. You may also be offered self-led online treatments or group workshops that you can undertake at your own pace.

3. The stepped approach

Services try to offer the least intrusive method of care possible, and differing interventions are offered in a 'stepped approach'. This ensures people receive the right care for them at the right time. Using this 'stepped care' method, clients can be moved up or down the 'steps' depending on treatment needs and progress.

Usually, treatment at Step 2, the first step, is offered when people are new to the service and have issues considered to be of lower intensity, such as milder anxiety.

Treatment at Step 3 is for people needing a longer intervention to meet their needs. For example, those experiencing difficulties following trauma who may require treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is treated at Step 3, with treatment usually lasting between 8 and 20 weeks. Finally, Step 4 interventions are for more complex needs. These are offered to people who, having worked through Step 3, still need additional treatment and support.

Sessions at Step 2 run for 30 minutes. At Steps 3 and 4, sessions generally last 45-60 minutes and are usually offered weekly for between 8 and 20 weeks.

4. The different types of treatment

Most often the treatment offered will be CBT (Cognitive, Behavioural Therapy). Unlike what many of us might imagine when we think of therapy, CBT is a skills-based approach where client and therapist work together to test out different skills and new learning to see what works for you.

It is a collaborative process where, rather than just talking about your problems, you work together to explore what might be causing your difficulties and what changes could make a positive difference. Client and therapist are actively involved in exploring the problem and finding solutions together, guided by the therapists' skills and knowledge and the clients' understanding of the problem as they experience it.

The idea is to empower you to understand what is happening and why, what keeps it going, and what changes things for the better. You should leave with a new set of skills you can use for yourself. Some clients even tell us they find the new skills so helpful that they go on to teach them to others!

5. Giving feedback

You will be asked to give regular feedback to your therapist to make sure you are achieving your goals and that each session is meeting your needs. You will be supported throughout so that sensitive and difficult issues, which might be hard to talk about, do not become overwhelming.

To learn more about the wider support Mental Health Matters provides across England, including Talking Therapies in Warrington, Sefton and Northumberland, visit the Find a Service webpage.