About Talking Therapies

NHS Talking Therapies is a national programme (previously called IAPT: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) that makes evidence-based psychological support available to more people across England.

Every service follows the same national guidelines and uses evidence-based treatments proven to work for common mental health problems. Therapies are delivered by trained professionals and are tailored to your individual needs.

We follow the Stepped Care Model for Mental Health, which ensures you get the right level of support for your needs:

Step 1 – Self-help & GP Support

• For mild difficulties, you may start with self-help and self-monitoring.
• Support can include your GP, social prescribers, or community mental health nurse in your GP practice.
• You may also discuss medication options if appropriate.

Step 2 – PWPs (Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners)

• Low-intensity support for mild or straightforward difficulties.
• Examples: guided self-help, online therapy (like SilverCloud), or group courses.

Step 3 – High-Intensity CBT Therapists and Counsellors

• One-to-one therapy for more persistent or complex difficulties, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or counselling.

Step 4 – Psychotherapy

• Specialist therapy for complex or long-term mental health conditions, provided by trained psychotherapists.

This approach ensures that everyone receives timely, appropriate support, starting with the least intensive intervention likely to help, and stepping up to more intensive therapy if needed.

Please note, if you feel you need support from Step 4 Psychotherapy, please contact your GP for a referral to the Mental Health Assessment & Intervention Service (MAIS)

We can help you manage common mental health conditions, including:

• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Panic attacks and agoraphobia
• Specific phobias (e.g. fear of flying, emetophobia)
• Social anxiety
• Health anxiety
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Low self-esteem
• Stress
• Depression (including postnatal depression)

You don’t need a professional referral to access our service, you can self-refer and we’ll carry out an assessment to find the right type of support for you.

Our service is designed for people with mild to moderate mental health difficulties. We are not able to provide:

• A formal diagnosis of mental health conditions
• Assessments or diagnosis for ADHD or autism*
• Medication management or prescribing
• Support for active substance misuse (drugs or alcohol)
• Care for complex or severe mental health difficulties, such as severe personality disorders or eating disorders
• Crisis or emergency support, including suicidal thoughts, self-harm, psychosis, or other urgent psychiatric needs
• Long-term therapy for complex needs that require specialist or hospital-based services

If your needs are better supported elsewhere, we will do our best to help signpost or refer you to the right service.

* If you are waiting for, or suspect you may have, a diagnosis of ADHD or autism, you are still very welcome to access our service. We can support you with common mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression, but we cannot provide diagnostic assessments or specialist ADHD/autism treatment. the right type of support for you.

Our standard method is Electronic Letters (E-Letters), which you’ll receive by SMS with a secure link to view on your phone. We may also contact you by email, text, or phone to confirm and remind you of appointments.

We can provide:

• Interpreters
• British Sign Language (BSL)
• Makaton support

If you have accessibility needs, please let us know when you make your referral, or call us on 01752 435419 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm). If lines are busy, leave a clear voicemail and we’ll get back to you.