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• Sheffield Talking Therapies

If you’re struggling with your mental health, NHS Talking Therapies services are here for you. They provide a range of psychological therapies which are effective for stress, anxiety or depression – common mental health problems lots of us experience.

NHS Talking therapies are effective and confidential treatments delivered by fully trained and accredited practitioners. The treatments available include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling, and guided self-help.

The treatment options offered through Talking Therapies can help with problems including phobias, panic attacks and agoraphobia, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression and generalised anxiety. They can also support people who are living with a long-term condition like diabetes, heart disease or cancer.

Trained practitioners will discuss the treatment options available. These might include working through self-help materials with guidance, practical exercises, or one-to-one sessions. You may be offered cognitive behavioural therapy which is based on understanding and making changes to the way you think and behave.

At Sheffield Talking Therapies three accredited practitioners discuss the types of support and advice they offer people who seek support for stress, anxiety or depression.

Julie Little, Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (photo right), offers CBT for patients with long-term physical health conditions like long-term pain, fatigue, and diabetes.

Julie says: ‘CBT aims to help patients make some changes to improve their low mood, anxiety or stress and learn to live well with their long term health condition. It is an amazing job. I get to work with patients from lots of different backgrounds and who have various physical health conditions. I enjoy being able to adapt the treatments and it is rewarding to see patients recover.’

One of Julie’s patients adds: ‘Julie has been unbelievably helpful during our sessions to help my mental health in regard to my chronic health conditions and in general really! It’s been a pleasure to work with her.  Sessions have felt relaxed and professional, as well as personal and fun. There has been lots of flexibility in regard to my health which eases up any anxiety in terms of being well enough to attend. It has been life changing and the progress I have made has filled me with confidence with the tool set I now have to manage things better.’

Cameron Bains is a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner at Sheffield Talking Therapies. He says: ‘I offer guided self-help based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques. This type of therapy aims to help patients understand the cycles of anxiety, low mood and stress and learn some techniques to make changes and improve their mood. I enjoy the flexibility of offering patients face-to-face and virtual appointments and supporting patients on the Silvercloud online programme.’

Debbie Asquith, Counsellor trained in a range of therapies. Debbie says: ‘I am trained in Interpersonal Therapy, Person-Centred Experiential Counselling for depression, and Couples Therapy for Depression. These treatments can help in different ways by either exploring experiences and related emotions, relationship difficulties and recovery from depression. I get to work in a student clinic seeing patients face to face and virtually for their therapy sessions, and I enjoy supporting them with the pressures of moving home, university work and student life.’

You can refer yourself directly to an NHS talking therapies service – go to nhs.uk/mentalhealth or speak to your GP. Treatment is available in person, by video, over the phone or as an online course. To be eligible you just need to be registered with a GP. You can either fill in an online form or phone your local service to book your first appointment. Read about the different types of talking therapy.