Publish date: 15 January 2024
West London NHS Trust’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service is rebranding as NHS Talking Therapies. This transition is part of a national rollout, involving extensive consultation with over 3,600 participants, including staff, charities, patients, and the general public, and is supported by the new ‘Help us Help You’ campaign.
Improving access, reducing inequality
A central aim of the new brand is to help improve visibility of the service in the community, making people aware that free structured support is available for common mental health challenges like anxiety and depression.
Alongside the name change we will be simplifying the referral process, listening to community ideas, and creating a more welcoming experience. This will help to bridge the gap and encourage individuals to come forward at an earlier stage.
Dr Ruth Dennis, Head of Psychology for the Psychological Medicine service line said, "This change is a positive step forward in our mission to make primary mental health support more accessible to the public. We believe that the new name, Talking Therapies, better reflects the ethos of our service and will be more meaningful for individuals seeking support."
New name, same service
The rebranded service will continue to provide a range of evidence-based talking therapies. These include guided self-help, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling for depression, and interpersonal therapies. The selection of therapy is based on what has proven to be most effective for specific symptoms.
Self-referrals welcome
For information about Talking Therapies and how to refer, please visit the website here: https://www.westlondon.nhs.uk/talkingtherapies.