Feeling Stressed or Depressed? Don’t Suffer in Silence

If you’re suffering from stress, anxiety or depression your local NHS Talking Therapy service; ‘Therapy for You’ can help.

‘Therapy for You’, the local NHS talking therapy and counselling service is encouraging people suffering from anxiety, stress, depression or those struggling to come to terms with a bereavement to get in touch.

It’s easy to refer yourself, just call 01268 739128 and request a referral form. There are no long waiting lists and you could be seen in a matter of days.

Our trained counsellors will help you understand why you feel, think or behave the way you do and help you to discover ways to help yourself. Individual therapy is usually offered every two weeks with evening and Saturday morning sessions also available.

Counselling sessions via the Therapy for You programme have helped 51-year-old Lloyd enormously.

Lloyd self-referred to Therapy for You via his GP, and immediately warmed to the counsellor assigned to him.

He explained: “In no time at all we seemed to get to the roots of issues that I had had for years.  My counsellor allowed me to see things in a totally different perspective.

“At the end of the first eight sessions I was not sure I had received enough sessions, and after a three month gap I really felt I needed more.  I referred myself back and was lucky to be assigned the same counsellor. I have just finished the second set of eight weeks and the change in me has been incredible.

“When I started the second set of sessions I was in a dark place and my counsellor allowed me to get to grips with my issues, and did so in such a lovely and caring manner. 

“She made a real point of getting to know me right from the beginning, and remembered everything from our previous sessions asking after people I may have mentioned – she really did her homework. This makes the whole process feel more personable, and makes you feel more comfortable and willing to open up to a greater extent.

“I felt through these sessions that after so many years of not knowing, I am now very aware of what the real issues are. Now I feel I have something to look forward to and I can start improving my outlook on life. 

“There used to be a stigma with having therapy but that is no longer there. I would advocate that anyone who feels they need help and support should try this. I cannot praise the ‘Therapy for You’ service enough.”

Thurrock resident, William, has been receiving support from one of our therapists and he told us:

“At first I was reluctant to try it,” admits William whose doctor suggested he try SEPT’s service, Therapy for You.

“When you get to a certain age you are less willing to try something that you are not familiar with, but after a couple of sessions I could not believe the difference. I felt wonderful.”

Describing the counselling as ‘reflective medicine’, William admits he is finding the fortnightly sessions a revelation to his mental well-being.

“My counsellor has made me believe that things are going to be OK. When I started the sessions I would go in and meet the counsellor feeling confused. During the course of our discussions she showed me there was light at the end of the tunnel.”

Before each session, William, a nurse who is currently taking a career break, spends a few minutes filling in a questionnaire which the counsellor uses as a starting point for their discussion. William believes this is important for him too as it gives him a chance to fully reflect on how he is feeling.

Each session lasts 30 or 45 minutes and William admits he enjoys the discussions and is often surprised by the fresh perspective.

He said: “I can be talking about an area of my life and how I am feeling, and she will reply with a different angle which I had not thought of before, or suggest a new way for me to look at an issue.

He added:  “The counsellor gives me strategies and tips to employ in my everyday life and all I can say is – they really work.”

 -ENDS-