Katie shares her therapy journey

Katie contacted TALKWORKS after struggling to find work and recognising the impact this was having on her mental health. She worked closely with her therapist and employment specialist which helped her to make positive changes so that she could feel happier in herself.

“In September 2024, I completed my MA programme and moved home to search for a job. Applying for a highly competitive industry and struggling to adapt after the end of university, I found myself becoming increasingly depressed. I had no energy, even for things I enjoyed, and I would sometimes spend several days on a single application while I tried to gather the motivation to work and retain my focus. The more setbacks I had, the more my mental health deteriorated. The more I struggled, the harder it was to search for jobs. I felt exhausted, hopeless, inadequate and completely overwhelmed by my negative thoughts.

“I was hesitant to approach TALKWORKS at first, since I had previously used the service for help with generalised anxiety disorder and felt I should have had the tools to cope with my low mood on my own. I realised my coping mechanisms weren’t working and remembered how much therapy had helped with my anxiety, so I reached out to TALKWORKS again.

“I was offered both therapy and employment support, and the sessions made a huge difference. I undertook behavioural activation with my therapist, which taught strategies for reintroducing activities into my routine, thus creating more opportunities to feel accomplishment and happiness. My therapist was friendly, understanding, and supportive, tailoring our sessions to use what I’d learnt from my previous therapy. We did a lot of work challenging the negative self-talk which had become ingrained in my daily life, and even when I struggled with the home practice, I never felt any judgement or pressure. My therapist reminded me that recovering was a gradual journey; I’d taken the most difficult step, and I was never going to be back at square one.

“Alongside this, I also received employment support to help with my job search. My employment advisor worked hard to learn about the industry I was applying for and made a real effort to help me find experience and job opportunities. We worked through my CV, explored stepping stones to my career goals, and discussed interview techniques, all with my mental health difficulties in mind. Our sessions didn’t just teach me tricks and techniques to help my job hunt; they also gave me confidence that I was making progress, alleviating the hopelessness and inadequacy I was feeling.

“I am now in the process of moving to start a new job, and I’m so grateful to TALKWORKS for all the help I received. I would recommend therapy to anyone; an outside eye can be so helpful in reframing problems, however big or small they might be. While overcoming mental health challenges can be an ongoing process, TALKWORKS’ supportive environment and the techniques and tools they provided have really helped me make positive change and get back to feeling like myself again.”

If you have noticed a change in your mood or have been feeling low, anxious or depressed, help is available through TALKWORKS. We are free to access and here to help adults over the age of 18, living in Devon, to get back on track.

Self-refer to TALKWORKS without needing an appointment with your GP. Simply complete our online self-referral form or call the team on 0300 555 3344 (our phone lines are open Monday to Friday from 9am – 4:45pm).