A guide into what therapy with TALKWORKS looks like
Accessing TALKWORKS has never been easier. You can make a referral to our service in a number of different ways:
When making the referral to TALKWORKS, you will be able to select whether you'd prefer to receive therapy face-to-face, over the phone or by video call.
Once you have submitted your referral we will aim to get back to you within 5 working days. If you do not hear from us, please check your junk inbox or call our team and one of our friendly administrators will be able to help you.
After we have received your referral, we will make contact to book in an initial assessment with one of our friendly clinicians.
During your first appointment, our therapists will ask questions to learn more about the difficulties that you are experiencing. They will then talk through the different ways in which our service may be able to help. If we feel our service is unable to meet your needs, we will signpost you to other services who may be better placed to help. If we feel that TALKWORKS can help, your therapist will explore the different treatment options within our service and agree on regular appointment times to meet with you.
We know that starting therapy can feel daunting. The aim of the information below is to communicate to you what our therapy looks like and how you can get the most out of it. We've tried to cover all bases on this page, but if you have any questions, feel free to visit our frequently asked questions page or contact our team on 0300 555 3344.
Confidentiality is key for us: As an NHS talking therapies service, we take confidentiality very seriously. It is crucial that you feel safe and secure in discussing your difficulties. We want you to be able to open up about how you are feeling so that we can work with you to help you to feel better. Here are some key things to note about confidentiality:
Sharing Information - What you share in therapy will remain confidential. In most cases, we only share information with your GP or referrer. However, if we are concerned about your safety, the safety of others, or your wellbeing, we may need to involve other services. Wherever possible, we will discuss this with you beforehand unless we have concerns about risk to yourself or the safety of others.
Storage of Information - The NHS is committed to safe storage of information. Records are kept electronically on a system designed for our service. If you would like to find out more information about how we store patient data, please email us.
Supervision - To ensure you receive the best possible care, your therapist regularly meets with a supervisor to reflect on and review their work. This is a standard and valuable part of therapy. It enables your therapist to make sure that the approaches and decisions they take are well-considered, ethical and tailored to your needs.
Each time you have a session with us, you will be sent a questionnaire 24 hours before your appointment. We ask you to fill these out in advance so that your therapist can understand more about how you are feeling and to monitor how well the chosen treatment option is working. If we don't feel it's working, these questionnaires are a good indicator to us that we might need to look at other treatment options so that we can help you to get the most out of your therapy with us.
TALKWORKS is a free and confidential NHS service, and our aim is to help as many people as we can to get better. This means that any sessions that we offer do have set time slots and can't run over due to other appointments that may be booked in after yours. You will be told in advance how long you have for each therapy session and the timings will vary depending on the treatment that you are receiving.
You may be required to complete tasks between your therapy sessions as this can help you to get the most out of your appointments. If this is required, your therapist will discuss this with you during your sessions to ensure that any tasks that are set feel manageable.
As an NHS service, the therapy that we offer at TALKWORKS is time limited. The amount of sessions that you have with us will depend on the treatment plan that has been agreed and whether or not we feel that it is working effectively for you.
If you are unable to make an appointment, please let us know in advance by calling our team on 0300 555 3344 or by emailing dpt.talkworks@nhs.net. If you miss a session without letting us know, that appointment will be lost. Missing or cancelling two sessions at short notice may mean we need to review whether therapy is right for you at this time. We know life can be busy, but attending regularly gives you the best chance of feeling better.
We understand that therapy can be hard and sometimes it can make you feel worse before you start to feel better. If you have any concerns around your therapy or aren't sure if it feels right, please speak to your therapist. If you'd prefer to speak to someone else, you can contact our admin team and ask to speak with a senior member of staff. We're here to listen and support you.
Once you come to the end of your therapy sessions with us, you should be in a place where you are feeling better in yourself. Through working with one of our therapists, you should have developed a range of tools and techniques to help you manage the difficulties that you have faced so that you can feel confident in facing them.
Completing therapy can feel a bit daunting, but it's important to know that you are not alone. You are welcome to re-refer yourself to TALKWORKS at any time if you would like to access our service again.