Talking therapy services (also known as Improving Access to Psychological Therapies - IAPT)
Are you suffering from anxiety or depression? Perhaps you’re feeling stressed and struggling to control your worry? Do you experience feelings of panic or obsess about certain thoughts?
Help is out there.
There are a range of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services across Lancashire and South Cumbria which involve free groups, courses and one to one therapy to help you understand what you’re going through and build your confidence.
There are three providers who offer these services, and you can self-refer into any of them, which means you don't have to see your GP first:
- Lancashire Women (link opens in new window) – for people aged 16 and over who live in East Lancashire.
- Mindsmatter (link opens in new window) – for people aged 16 and over who live in Lancashire, but not including Blackpool.
- First Step (link opens in new window) – for people aged 18 and over who live in South Cumbria.
- Blackpool Healthier Minds (link opens in new window) – for people aged 16 and over who live in Blackpool.
The IAPT service is not a crisis service and we are not able to see people who are in crisis or who need urgent help.
What can the IAPT services offer?
Whilst each provider may offer a slightly different approach, the teams generally provide screening assessments and psychological interventions to people suffering with common mental health problems.
They provide a range of evidence based psychological interventions, where all therapies follow guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
There are a variety of ways you may be offered help depending on your needs, these include group interventions, telephone contacts or individual sessions.
IAPT teams
IAPT Teams consists of a range of psychological practitioners. These include psychological wellbeing practitioners (PWPs), cognitive behavioural therapists, eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapists (EMDR therapists) and counsellors.