Talking Therapies service offering invaluable support this Mental Health Awareness Week
Date posted: 15th May 2023
The NHS in Lancashire and South Cumbria is shining a light on the support available for people experiencing anxiety and depression during this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (Monday 15 to Sunday 21 May).
Through NHS Talking Therapies – the new name for IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) – residents can refer themselves into a service that offers help for symptoms of common mental health problems, including anxiety and depression.
The service can offer free and confidential support including guided self-help, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, counselling and group wellbeing workshops.
Fleur Carney, director for mental health at NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said: “The self-referral service has been renamed as NHS Talking Therapies, which better describes the type of support it can offer.
“Primarily for mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, it is easy to access - patients don’t have to see a GP to be referred - and teams are able to provide screening assessments and psychological interventions delivered by fully trained and accredited NHS practitioners.
“Locally, this help includes group sessions, stress-control courses and one-to-one therapy to help people understand what they are going through and build their confidence.”
Since the programme began in 2008, the self-referral programme has grown to the point where more than one million people across the UK access the service each year.
NHS Talking Therapies provide evidence-based psychological interventions for adults and older adults with anxiety disorders and/or depression. High-quality care is provided by clinicians who are trained and accredited in the specific therapies they deliver.
More information about Talking Therapies is available on the NHS England website, and to see what help is available locally, visit the Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB website.
If you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis and need help straight away, you should call the mental health crisis line on 0800 953 0110, or dial 999 if you have harmed yourself.