Hannah was referred to our East Midlands talking therapy service; she had previously tried cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with a different provider, but it had not helped her in the way that she had hoped. This time, she was keen to try counselling for depression.
Hannah’s first contact with us was a telephone assessment:
‘I was immediately impressed by the compassion and sensitivity I received during this call. I particularly appreciated that [my assessor] made a point of thanking me for sharing the details of my problems with her, and also that I was offered a choice between counselling and CBT, as I had tried CBT in the past with little success and was keen to try something new.’
The next step was to attend a group introductory session, where our team explained the difference between CBT and counselling, which helped Hannah to explore her options.
‘…I received a call on my way home from this session, offering me an appointment for the following week. It’s incredible that I was able to be seen so quickly during such a difficult time for NHS services, and even if this was a fluke I am extremely grateful to have been made to feel as though staff understood the urgency of my problems. When using different talking therapies services, I have previously waited more than 16 weeks on a 12-week waiting list, and the communication around this was also poor, so it was hard to not get the impression that my care was not a priority. In contrast, Insight Healthcare was incredibly responsive and helpful throughout.’
Hannah then began sessions with her counsellor, who took time to explore with Hannah why CBT may not have been effective for her.
‘…I could not have asked for a better counsellor. He always seemed to remember what was going on with me despite how many patients he must see every week, he was able to help me understand why CBT hadn’t worked for me, which lifted the weight of feeling like I had failed at therapy, and he offered frank and compassionate advice every session, which has truly changed my life for the better.’
The counselling sessions enabled Hannah to feel more in control and confident in her ability to find her own solutions to her difficulties:
‘This was the first time that I ended a run of counselling feeling like I should be discharged, because I had begun to suggest the solutions to my own problems and was at the point where I could handle things independently. I work in the NHS myself, so I know first-hand how much of a strain is being placed on the service, so I wanted to write in with my compliments because I think it is truly amazing to be able to provide the kind of compassionate, responsive care that I received from Insight Healthcare in spite of these challenges, and I am truly grateful to all the staff who helped provide this support.’
*The patient’s name has been changed to maintain confidentiality