- Jersey Talking Therapies has received almost 1,200 referrals in its first six month.
- Service launched last September and has received an average of 42 new referrals per week from Island GPs.
- Find out more about what the service offers below.
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A SERVICE offering counselling and therapy to Islanders with depression and anxiety has had almost 1,200 referrals in the six months since it was set up.
- JTT provides psychological therapies for people who are resident in Jersey.
- The treatments they offer are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
- The service is available to people over the age of 18 years old who feel anxious, worried, low or sad. This can include people who have issues such as depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, phobias, panic and post-traumatic stress disorder or for people who are worried that alcohol is harming their health.
- Anyone referred to the service can expect to see a psychological well-being practitioner for their assessment and for some kinds of problems they also offer therapy with a psychological therapist or a counsellor.
What are psychological therapies?
- Psychological therapies are forms of treatment which involve talking to a trained professional to help you overcome difficulties.
- Psychological therapies are based on the idea that talking to a trained professional provides people with an opportunity to explore their thoughts and feelings and how they relate to behaviour, mood and psychological wellbeing.
- According to the We Need To Talk (2010) report: The therapeutic element of talking treatments allows people to take greater control over thought processes, to alter patterns of negative thoughts and to build their confidence.
Jersey Talking Therapies was launched last September and has received an average of 42 new referrals per week from Island GPs.
The team has so far seen a total of 1,189 people and Islanders are waiting approximately four weeks for an initial assessment and up to 14 weeks for some treatments.
Dr Tracy Wade, director of counselling and psychotherapy at the Health Department, said the high demand showed that there was a real need for the service, which is offered to those with mild to moderate mental health problems.
She said: ‘We have seen a lot of individuals, but we are meeting that need and have lots of options available.
‘We are starting to see the numbers trail off a bit but it will always be a high demand service.’
The department took on eight psychological therapists as well as five specially trained psychological wellbeing practitioners to run Jersey Talking Therapies.
Some of the psychologists also work privately in the Island while others have been employed from the UK.
The wellbeing practitioners are either counsellors or psychology graduates who are trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Islanders suffering from mild to moderate mental health issues such as low mood, depression and anxiety can access the service through their GP.
The current waiting time for an assessment, which is done either over the phone or in person, is approximately four weeks.
– Jersey Talking Therapies offer a range of different therapies, mostly based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) or Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT).
– They also offer:
- Guided self-help
- Support using workbooks
- Telephone support
- Face-to-face support
- Lifestyle support
- Behavioural activation
- Problem solving
- Counselling
- Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (cCBT)
- Information and signposting to other relevant services and support
– In addition, they offer a range of different three-hour stand-alone workshops as well as longer psychoeducational skills courses.
Approximate waiting times for follow-on therapies are either eight weeks or 14 weeks, depending on the service required.
More than half of those referred to the service last year were women and the majority were aged 25-59. There have been 98 people over the age of 60 who have gone to the service for help.
Dr Wade said that, depending on their needs, the client received either counselling, long-term psychological therapy or attended a course designed to address and challenge their negative thoughts.
There is also an online CBT course offered by the local charity Mind Jersey.
‘People come to us with all sorts of problems, from life events to relationship problems. Some people just say they just feel sad and that they are struggling but they don’t know why.
‘People have periods in their lives that are difficult. We help them to develop coping strategies.’
Dr Wade said Jersey Talking Therapies was not at the stage where it could take self referrals but it hoped to be able to offer that service in the future.
- You can book your first appointment by calling 444550
- Your assessment will be carried out by a psychological well-being practitioner by telephone or face-to-face, depending on your preference. You will be asked to complete
- some questionnaires then together we will agree a plan for your recovery.
- If JTT is the right service to meet your needs you will be offered therapy.
- As well as individual therapy you may also be encouraged to take part in psycho-educational courses or workshops relevant to your difficulties.
- To help you measure how you are feeling and work towards your goals, your psychological well-being practitioner or psychological therapist will regularly review your progress with you by using short questionnaires at each therapy session.
- When your treatment is complete, JTT will write a summary of their work for you to keep and will also give a copy to your GP.
- More information is available here
Last year, local charity Mind Jersey released two short films about Islanders who have suffered from depression.
The charity released the films to highlight the condition, with the aim of increasing awareness and understanding about mental health, which affects one in four people in the UK.
In the films below, Mind Jersey ambassadors Beth Moore and Stephen Le Quesne speak openly and honestly about how depression affected them
