Accessing help on the NHS
Every week, 250,000 people will visit their doctor about a mental health problem and 750,000 prescriptions for antidepressants are issued. Since 2008, there has been an increased drive to help patients access talking therapies on the NHS. The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) initiative was created to allow more people to access counselling and therapy services, and now some 900,000 people a year access IAPT.*
IAPT is primarily for people who have mild to moderate mental health difficulties, such as depression, anxiety, and phobias. These conditions are treated using a variety of therapies, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and counselling.
IAPT can be a great way for those who would not otherwise be able to access counselling or therapy to talk to a professional.
Many people have undoubtedly benefited from having greater access to counselling and therapy, however, there can be some limitations:
Waiting times can be long (Over half of those on the IAPT waiting list have been on it for over three months)
58 per cent of people weren’t offered any choice in the type of therapy they received
Three quarters of people were not given a choice in where they received their treatment.
11 per cent said they had to pay for treatment because the therapy they wanted was not available on the NHS
Half felt the number of sessions weren’t enough
IAPT services are ‘time limited’ due to the huge demand for them. This means that depending on where you live, you will either be offered 6 or 12 sessions for counselling. This for many is the greatest disadvantage IAPT.
However, it still provides an integral service for many who would not be able to access the help they otherwise need.
Making the most of time limited therapy
Although 6 or 12 sessions do not sound like very many, it can actually be enough time to deal with very specific issues. If you are going to have IAPT sessions, you may need to be quite focused and goal orientated about what you want to achieve in that period of time.
IAPT can work very well for specific issues such as problems at work, trouble sleeping or social anxieties.
Before you go:
Have a clear idea of what you would like your goal to be, and what you would like to achieve in your 6 or 12 sessions
Keep your goals realistic! The more defined and focused they are, the more achievable they will be in your sessions
Be prepared to do homework. IAPT can often use homework as a way of trying to speed up change or bringing about awareness. No matter how small or insignificant a homework task may seem, it is there for a reason and will be helpful for you
Know the policies. IAPT have very strict cancellation and no-show policies. Often if you miss a session you won’t be able to reschedule it or gain it back, and if you miss two sessions in a row you may be discharged from the service. Ask about the policy, and if you have any planned leave or holidays coming up when you won’t be able to attend your sessions, make sure you explain that on your first contact with IAPT (usually as part of a triage process)
Do think about the long term. Often an issue arises and at its core is a deeper issue, one that is more complex and will take time to understand and address. IAPT would not allow you to get into such depth, so it may be worth thinking about other ways to access longer term counselling or therapy after.
To find out more about IAPT and what services you can access, click here.
*https://www.mind.org.uk/media/494424/we-still-need-to-talk_report.pdf