Talking therapy support

• Someone from your local IAPT service will get in touch, usually within a few weeks.
• They'll ask for more details about the problems you're having. This is known as an assessment.
• If the service thinks they can help you, they may recommend a therapy for you or suggest other forms of help from the service or elsewhere. This is based on your symptoms and how severe they are.
• Waiting times for your first session of therapy vary. The service will tell you what to expect.

There are many different types of talking therapies and they all involve working with a trained therapist. For some problems and conditions, one type of talking therapy may be better than another.

You may wish to know more about talking therapies before deciding how to find help.

Different talking therapies are designed to help people with different types of conditions.

Making a decision by having an assessment

The best way to understand if talking therapy could help you is to review this with a suitably qualified practitioner as part of an assessment of your needs. You can also discuss what type of talking therapy would suit you. This can then lead to a shared decision about a way forward.

Some people have this sort of assessment through an NHS talking therapies service. You can refer yourself to one of these services. You don't need to go through your GP. You can visit the NHS website to find your local NHS talking therapies service.

Other people may have this sort of assessment through another part of the NHS mental health service, or from an independent practitioner or therapist. It is good to find a practitioner who can help you decide between a number of choices, not just recommend the therapy that they provide.

Considering the evidence

When deciding which type of talking therapy would be best for you, it is important to bear in mind which therapies have the best evidence of success for different types of conditions. You can then look for a practitioner who is fully qualified and registered/accredited in one of those approaches.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides guidance around the treatments of choice for some conditions. 

The following conditions are listed with the NICE recommended treatments.

Depression:

• Guided self-help based on cognitive behavioural therapy principles.
• Cognitive behavioural therapy.
• Interpersonal therapy.
• Couple therapy.
• Brief psychodynamic therapy.
• Counselling for depression.

Anxiety disorders which can include, panic disorder, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder, and generalised anxiety disorder:

• Guided self-help based on cognitive behavioural therapy principles. This is not advised for social anxiety disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Cognitive behavioural therapy.

Post-traumatic stress disorder:

• Cognitive behavioural therapy.
• Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EDMR).

In practice, individuals may experience conditions or issues for which there is no specific NICE guidance. In these cases, it is recommended that you ask a practitioner what evidence there is for the effectiveness of different treatment options. You can then take this into account when making a decision.

A good relationship with the therapist is really important

In all psychological therapy, the relationship between you and the therapist is important. You need to feel confident that you can work well together and that they have understood the issues you are facing. They should also be warm and empathetic, and consider your preferences for treatment.

Factors to consider

You might want to think about the following factors to help you choose the right practitioner for you:

• The relationship with the practitioner or therapist.
• The specific type of therapy and evidence that this could help you.
• The qualifications and experience of the practitioner to deliver this therapy.
• How and where the therapy is delivered – in person or remotely.
• Clarity around what is being offered – frequency and duration.

Additional useful links

NHS talking therapies - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Find out more about the types of talking therapies and counselling available on the NHS.

How to find a therapist - Mind

What is CBT? (babcp.com)

How to choose a psychotherapist | UKCP (psychotherapy.org.uk)

Information about counselling (bacp.co.uk)​​

Once you've considered what's best for your situation, you might feel that NHS talking therapies are not suitable for you, or they are unable to help. You might prefer to access support for your mental health from elsewhere.

The EIBSS can offer funding to access counselling and talking therapies with a private therapist of your choice.

To apply for the talking therapy payment, the applicant must be either be:

• an infected person who is registered with the EIBSS
• a bereaved person who is registered with the EIBSS
• family members of an infected person registered with the EIBSS or previous schemes

To apply for funding through England Infected Blood Support Scheme, the applicant must send a:

• completed counselling discretionary one-off payment application form (PDF: 311KB)
• medical letter from a registered therapist confirming the cost of the assessment

If you're a family member of an infected person and have not received a payment from us previously, complete a contact preferences and personal details form (PDF: 125KB).

Alternatively, the applicant can send a medical letter from a registered or accredited therapist confirming the cost, number of therapy sessions required, and confirmation of which approved registration or accreditation for counsellors or therapists they have. 

When trying to find a private therapist, it's important to make sure they're appropriately registered or accredited with a professional body.

We're able to fund therapists accredited or registered with the: 

• Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapies (BABCP)
• United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
• British Psychoanalytic Council
• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
• National Counselling Society (NCS)
• Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC)

Registration or accreditation with a professional body means that the counsellor or therapist meets the standards of proficiency and ethical practice you would expect. 

If you’re under the care of a specialist, the treatment centre you attend might be able to refer you to services in your area.

Your GP can also offer advice on local NHS services for support with your mental and physical health.