Talking is good for you!
Talking therapies can help you work out how to deal with negative thoughts and feelings and make positive changes. They can help people who are feeling distressed by difficult events in their lives as well as people with a mental health problem. This information is for anyone who wants to know more about different types of talking therapy that we offer. The information mainly uses the words 'talking therapy' and 'therapist', although the words that other people use may be different.
Talking about your thoughts and feelings can help you deal with times when you feel troubled about something. If you turn a worry over and over in your mind, the worry can grow.
But talking about it can help you work out what is really bothering you and explore what you could do about it.
Talking is an important part of our relationships. It can strengthen your ties with other people and help you stay in good mental health. Being listened to helps you feel that other people care about you and what you have to say.
What are talking therapies?
We often find it helpful to talk problems through with a friend or family member, but sometimes friends and family cannot help us and we need to talk to a professional therapist.
Talking therapies involve talking to someone who is trained to help you deal with your negative feelings.
Talking therapies give people the chance to explore their thoughts and feelings and the effect they have on their behaviour and mood. Describing what's going on in your head and how that makes you feel can help you notice any patterns which it may be helpful to change.
It can help you work out where your negative feelings and ideas come from and why they are there.
Understanding all this can help people make positive changes by thinking or acting differently. Talking therapies can help people to take greater control of their lives and improve their confidence.
Talking therapies may also be referred to as:
- talking treatments
- counselling
- psychological therapies or treatments
- psychotherapies
The various terms used to describe talking therapies often mean different things to different people.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends certain therapies for certain problems, but other therapies might work for you just as well.
- Cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT)
- Dialectic behaviour therapy (DBT)
- Psychodynamic therapies
- Humanistic therapies
- Other kinds of talking therapy
- Support and information
Here's Esmee's experience of counselling within our service
Cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT)
How do they work?
By looking at how we can react differently to our thoughts and feelings (for example, challenging negative thoughts) and how changing the way we behave can help us feel better (for example trying new activities).
What form do they take?
CBT sessions are clearly structured with an agenda which is mutually agreed between the Therapist and the client. The therapist directs the conversation. The focus is on what is maintaining the current problems and to solve these practically.
How can you receive CBT?
CBT can be delivered in the following ways:
- Online
- Telephone
- Video
- Microsoft Teams
- Face to face in a range of localities
How long do they take?
Treatment is usually short-term and for a set length of time (typically 4 to 12 sessions).
What are they helpful for?
A range of problems including depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, managing long-term illnesses and post-traumatic stress. NICE recommends CBT for all these.
Who will they suit?
People who want a therapy that works towards solutions, with clear goals and using practical techniques.
Here's Ian's experience of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy within our service
Other kinds of talking therapy
Interpersonal therapy
This explores how to link mood with the way you relate to the people close to you. NICE recommends this for various forms of depression.
Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a way of stimulating the brain through eye movements making distressing memories feel less intense. It is one of the NICE recommended treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Counselling for Depression
Counselling for Depression (CfD) is a specific type of counselling that can help people who experience symptoms of depression.