If you are suffering with any of the below conditions and need help with anxiety, depression or stress you might not need a referral from your GP to get help via NHS Talking Therapies. Instead, it might be that you can ‘self-refer’, that is; refer yourself to a psychological therapy service and request an assessment for possible treatment. NHS Talking Therapies (which is also known as IAPT improving access to psychological therapies) can offer people evidence-based treatments such as counselling, guided self-help and CBT.
What is self referral?
Self referral is a process whereby you refer yourself to your local NHS Talking Therapies service and so do not have to ask your GP or any other healthcare professional for a referral. This often makes the process of getting help more immediate, particularly if you know you are ready to get help but would not like to wait to be medically assessed prior to getting this support.
Most services involve filling in a brief on-line form and/or speaking to someone on the phone, after which you will be asked to attend a preliminary assessment where a professional will talk through what symptoms you are experiencing and what support would be best.
How to Self-Refer
What happens next can differ slightly depending on where in the UK you live, but the general process remains the same. Firstly, you’ll need to locate your local NHS Talking Therapies service. You can usually do this by searching for your area on a search engine alongside “NHS Talking Therapies self-referral”. All local services have their own individual website with a self-referral form.
When you’ve found your local service, you will need to fill in a self-referral form. This form usually requires you to provide personal details alongside information regarding the nature of your mental health concerns, such as mood, levels of anxiety, ability to sleep and the impact of the problems on your daily life.
Following the submission of your form, a member of staff from your chosen service will contact you and will invite you to an assessment appointment. This will either take place over the phone, via a video call or face to face, depending on your local service.
What Happens After You Refer Yourself?
After your initial assessment, the therapist or practitioner will discuss possible treatment options with you. If you are suitable for NHS Talking Therapies, you may be offered interventions such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), counselling, guided self-help, or group-based programmes.
If your needs are more complex or severe, you may be referred to a different mental health service that can provide more specialised support. In some cases, you may also be given self-help resources or strategies to use while waiting for treatment. These can vary from person to person and depends on the difficulty you may be experiencing. The waiting times to receive treatment through NHS Talking Therapies will depend on where you live and the current demand on the service. You may be seen within a few weeks, or it could take longer. However, Self referral can usually be the fastest way of getting NHS help with the psychological side of things if you do not want to wait to be referred by your GP.
Self-referral to NHS Talking Therapies is possible for most adults over 18. Eligibility criteria may vary a little from service to service but they will typically be appropriate for anyone experiencing problems that commonly occur such as problems with depression and anxiety, phobias, panic, stress.
