Hounslow talking therapies (formerly Hounslow IAPT) provide psychological therapies for people over 18 who have a GP or live in the London Borough of Hounslow. We help you with common problems like stress, anxiety, and depression. This service is provided free of charge by the NHS.
If you’re feeling sad, stressed, or worried and would like therapy to help improve your mood then complete the online self-referral form and our team will be in touch to book your assessment.
Talking therapies help people with common problems like stress, anxiety and
depression.
How can it help me?
We can help people with mild to moderate mental health issues. Our support can
help you to:
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Work out what you want to change
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Recognise why you feel like this
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Learn new ways of coping
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Better manage your difficulties.
Is Talking Therapies for me?
We use a range of psychological therapies to treat anxiety, low mood and
depression.
Anxiety
This might feel like some or all of these:
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Feeling worried about things all the time
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Finding it hard to sleep or waking up with anxious thoughts racing through
your mind
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Avoiding situations or things you’d like to do because you feel anxious
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Exhausted because you feel on edge all the time
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Upsetting thoughts that you can’t seem to get rid of
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Intense fear of specific objects, situations, or activities
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Sudden, overwhelming feelings of panic.
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Low mood or depression
This might feel like some or all of these:
- Feeling sad a lot of the time
- Not enjoying things like you used to
- Not having any energy
- Changes in your appetite
- Finding it hard to sleep or sleeping more than normal.
Who is this service not suitable for?
Service users need to be motivated to attend and engage in regular psychological
therapy. Those with the following mental health conditions are unlikely to benefit
from the brief, structured help we provide. We can't see people where there is:,
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Active risk of harm to self, current suicidal intent, a recent suicide attempt, or if still in crisis
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A diagnosed personality disorder or personality traits that would make engagement in a brief psychological intervention likely to be ineffective, unhelpful and contravene NICE guidance
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Complex needs requiring multi-disciplinary input or longer-term psychological input. Examples include severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), chronic agoraphobia, complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), such as following repeated/ongoing trauma or victims of significant torture
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Drug and alcohol misuse as a primary problem or level of misuse likely to prevent engagement in regular psychological therapy
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Significant psychosocial or physical health factors that prevent engagement in regular psychological therapy or require input from a multi-disciplinary team. For example, where there are ongoing physical health investigations or legal cases
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Where ongoing home visits are required.
We use a range of talking therapies to help you feel better. Our approaches use evidence-based therapies. This means there's proof they are likely to make you feel better. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is one we use a lot. Here are some examples of the services we offer:
CBT for individuals
Using Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)-based approaches we work with you to identify unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviours that may be keeping your difficulties going. You’ll then learn strategies to break out of negative cycles and begin on your path to recovery.
BCT for couples
Behavioural Couples Therapy (BCT) is an evidence-basedthe treatment for depression. It is suitable for couples where low mood or depression affects one or both partners and leads to distress within the relationship.
Guided self-help
Using workbooks and working through defined tasks you learn ways of coping with stress and feelings of low mood to help you manage your difficulties.
Counselling for depression
We talk about struggles experienced in the past and the present including exploring feelings to better understand your concerns and the impact key moments have had on you.
Group sessions and workshops
Join group sessions and learn to control stress and improve general wellbeing, focus on mindfulness, better cope with long-term conditions, improve self-esteem and assertiveness, and ease sleep problems.
Signposting and other services
After speaking with you, we may refer you to other better-suited local NHS or charitable services to help you plan next steps to improving your mental wellbeing.
Making a referral
There are two easy ways to access talking therapies:
1. Refer yourself
You can self-refer to talking therapies. You should be over 18 and be registered with a GP or live in the borough of Hounslow. To self-refer, you can either fill out an online form, call our freephone number or
email us.
Online form: Complete the online referral form
Call (freephone number): 0300 123 0739
Email: wlm-tr.talkingtherapies.hounslow@nhs.net
2. Request your GP to refer you
Your doctor, social worker, employment advisor, or any other professional can make a referral for you.
What next?
After we receive your referral, we will contact you within 7–14 days to book an assessment. Assessments are usually over the phone lasting between 30 to 60 minutes. All our calls are from a withheld number. During the assessment, the therapist will ask you about your difficulties and then suggest a treatment option.
Our sessions are structured and take place over a short time, usually about 8 weeks to 10 weeks. If we are not the most appropriate service for you, we'll explain the reason and suggest alternative services, where possible. You can expect to wait between 2 to 5 months to start treatment, depending on the type of treatment you need and your availability.
What to expect during therapy
Your therapist will recommend a treatment that's most suited to you and you can access therapy in different ways. It can be face-to-face, in groups, or using video on your mobile phone, tablet, or computer.
Conversations are with non-judgemental professional therapists who'll keep your information confidential. If for any reason we need to share information with someone else involved in your care like your GP, we would endeavour to discuss that with you first. We're part of the NHS and all services are offered free of
charge.
Support in different languages
We can offer guided self-help and one-to-one therapy in a range of languages. We currently have therapists who are able to offer assessments and therapy in:
• English
• Punjabi.
We don't currently deliver any workshops or groups in languages other than English.
Interpreters
If we cannot provide a therapist who speaks your language, we'll organise for an interpreter to be present for your therapy sessions.
Self-help resources
Self-help leaflets and websites can help you learn more about your difficulties. In turn, this can help you look after yourself and feel more in control of your feelings.
We can recommend these resources. They're up to date, accurate and offer helpful, safe information.
For a range of self-help leaflets you can download in accessible formats, listen to, or watch with British Sign Language (BSL)
You can download a range of worksheets on common conditions from the Centre for Clinical Investigations
Local support
Phoenix Counselling and Psychotherapy Service
This service in Feltham provides low-cost individual and group psychotherapy and counselling.
Asian Family Counselling Service
Culturally sensitive counselling for individuals, couples and families from an Asian background. Based in Southall, they provide counselling in Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi, and English.
Hounslow Youth Counselling Service
A free confidential service, based in Isleworth, for all young people aged 11 to 25 living, working, or studying in the London Borough of Hounslow.
Women and Girls Network
Free counselling and telephone helpline support for women over the age of 16 who have experienced gendered violence.
Mental health and wellbeing websites
Mindout (for LGBTQ+ communities)
Lifesigns (support for self-harm)
Turn2us (benefits advice)
From the 1 July 2023, Hounslow IAPT will be partnering with Connect Health, who will be the new providers of counselling services within IAPT.
Following a competitive tendering process, Connect Health was successfully awarded the contract and will be providing high-quality, evidence-based counselling, supporting our commitment to improving mental health and wellbeing for the local population in Hounslow. The collaboration between Connect Health and Hounslow IAPT marks a significant step forward in meeting the growing demand for talking therapies as part of the NHS Long-Term Plan, and ensures that individuals can access high-quality care when they need it most.
For further information please contact:
Dr Lena Paul or Dr Annabelle Norman, Joint Clinical Leads for Hounslow IAPT:
Email: nhsnwl.hounslowiapt@nhs.net
Tel: 0300 123 0739
We value your feedback as it helps us monitor and improve our services and deliver better patient-centred care.
Please take a few moments to let us know what you think of our services by completing our online friends and family test survey. (Please quote Hounslow Talking Therapies).
