Who is Talking Therapies for?
NHS Talking Therapies is a service for adults over 18 (with no upper age limit) with a common mental health problem. Read about the problems we can help with.
We welcome people:
- of any sexuality or gender.
- who do not speak English. We can get you an interpreter and offer information in lots of different languages.
- who are neurodiverse
- who have a mild learning disability.
- whose problems are related to military service
If you are under 18 please discuss other options with your GP.
Problems we cannot help with
The talking therapies we offer are effective at helping people with ‘mild to moderate’ mental health problems. We would not be the best service to help you if you:
- Feel that you could be at risk of taking your own life.
- Are being seen by another mental health team
- Have a serious mental health problem such as:
bipolar disorder
psychosis
hearing voices or seeing things that aren’t there
schizophrenia
personality disorder
anorexia or severe bulimia - Are worried about your memory getting worse.
- Are dependent on drugs or alcohol. (We know people sometimes use drugs or alcohol to cope with their problems. But we recommend you try and reduce your use before starting therapy. You cannot come to an appointment under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If you want help with this, there are several local services offering drug and alcohol support.)
- Need grief or bereavement counselling. (We can offer support if you are struggling with your mental health (e.g., depression) because of a loss. But we do not offer bereavement counselling. CRUSE bereavement care offers bereavement counselling locally.)
- Need relationship counselling. (We can help you with mental health problems which might be affecting your relationship. But we are not relationship counsellors. RELATE offer specialist relationship counselling locally.)
- Need pain management support. Speak to your GP about the pain management clinic or Persistent Physical Symptoms Service
If you are struggling with any of these, please talk to your GP. They can help you to get more specialist help.
If you’re struggling with any of these things, please talk to your GP or the other organisations we have linked to. They can help you to get more specialist help.