Frequently Asked Questions
Please find below a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about our service. If your question is not answered here, you can always contact us and ask directly.
What happens after I am referred?
If we receive a referral from you, your GP, or another health professional, we will contact you to arrange an initial assessment appointment. We will call you, send you a text message, an email and/or a letter inviting you to contact us to book your appointment. We will usually contact you within a day or two of receiving your referral and aim to get you booked in for an assessment within 1-2 weeks.
Will I have to pay?
No. Talking Therapies is a free NHS service.
Are the things that I tell you confidential?
The information you share will be kept confidential within the team. The only time we will break this confidentiality is if you mention anything that causes us to think there is a risk of harm to yourself or to others, including if you tell us that you have been involved in or been a victim of a serious crime. In these situations, we will want to think with you about how to keep you and others safe. We may need to disclose some information to the relevant organisations to do this, which could involve reporting crimes to the Police where there is potential ongoing risk to you or the public. This is a legal safeguarding requirement but we will let you know if we are going to share any information and will support you to be involved in the process.
What will happen at the first appointment?
The first appointment will be an assessment. These are usually conducted over the telephone but we can offer a face to face assessment if you would prefer. This appointment usually takes about half an hour. The clinician will ask you some information about yourself and you will have the opportunity to talk about your difficulties. This helps us to decide whether this service can offer you the kind of help that you need. You will also have an opportunity to ask questions. At the end of this appointment, the clinician will arrange a time to call you back and will meet with their supervisor to consider the best way forward for you. The clinician will then call you back to discuss the outcome of the assessment.
Can I be seen outside of usual office hours as I work 9-5?
We are a flexible service and are able to offer appointments outside usual office hours starting from 8am Monday to Friday, and up until 8pm on Monday until Thursday evenings. We also work with a number of partner organisations, such as Xyla and ieso, who can provide a limited number of sessions at the weekends.
Are you able to work with people who don't speak English?
We have several therapists who speak languages other than English, who we will match you with if we can. If we cannot do this, we will arrange to use an interpreter from a professional interpreting service. We have a range of questionnaires and materials available in a number of different languages to support your therapy work.
Do you offer home visits?
No we do not provide home visits, but we can offer support via the telephone or online video call. You will discuss your preferences for how you will access any treatment that is offered when you have your assessment.
I am already seeing a therapist, can I come to see you?
If you are already having therapy elsewhere, we recommend you first review your progress with your current therapist or team as having more than one type of therapy at a time is not usually recommended. You are welcome to contact us for an assessment, particularly if you feel that things are not working for you, to consider what the options might be. If, however, you do wish to proceed with treatment within our service, we ask that you are fully available and committed to therapy with us.
Why do I have to complete questionnaires?
Before each session, you will be sent a link to some questionnaires to fill out. These cover a range of issues which might be affecting how you are feeling, including low mood, worry, sleep, anger and difficulty relaxing. These questionnaires help us to keep track of how you are feeling and mean that our therapy sessions can focus on those symptoms that are troubling you. They help us to know whether the treatment we have offered is helping you. If you find filling in forms difficult you can either have paper copies to fill in during your own time or your therapist can help you on the day.
How can I find out more about treatment you have recommended for me?
To find out further information about the type of treatment you have been offered, please click here.
How long will I have to wait to be seen?
We are usually able to offer an appointment for an initial assessment within a few days. If following the assessment, you and your assessor agree that it would be helpful for you to be offered treatment, the waiting time will vary by the type of treatment offered. For some of our courses, you will be booked in straight away and start having sessions within a few weeks, for other types of treatment the waiting time can be around six months. Up to date information about the waiting times for different treatments can be found here.
Is there any help available whilst I am waiting to start treatment?
We know that waiting for support can be difficult and so we have a page on this website dedicated to outlining what is available, both through our service and through other organisations. Please click here to be taken to this information.