Using a stepped care approach, the team provides screening assessments and psychological interventions to individuals suffering with common mental health problems.

We provide a range of evidence based psychological interventions, where all our therapies follow guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

There are a variety of ways in which we can offer you help depending on your needs, these include: computerised packages, group interventions, telephone contacts or individual sessions. 

Initially you will be offered a telephone screening appointment to discuss the problem you are currently experiencing and want help with. As part of this you will be asked to complete some questionnaires about how you are currently feeling. These can also be completed online prior to the assessment. A decision will then be made about what help will be most beneficial for you at this time.

It is important to understand that psychological interventions can be hard work, both during and in between contacts. It is important to realise that there will be no overnight changes; it could take time and commitment to benefit from therapy.

At the end of each contact with a psychological practitioner, tasks you will need to complete before your next session will be agreed so you can put into practice the knowledge and skills you learn. Your progress towards achieving your specific goals will be reviewed at each contact. Research shows that people who set goals and carry out ‘homework’ recover quicker and stay recovered for longer.

It is important that you are able to make a commitment to regular contacts; whether they are over the telephone, group or face to face sessions, to get the best from psychological help. 

The service can provide psychological therapies (also known as talking therapies) for the following difficulties:

• Depression and Low mood
• Panic Disorder
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder
• Health Anxiety and Medically Unexplained Symptoms
• Social Phobia
• Specific Phobia
• Single Incident Trauma (PTSD)
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Adjustment Disorder
• Bereavement & Loss
• Insomnia
• Low Self-Esteem
• Anxiety/ depression in people with long term conditions
• Post-natal anxiety/depression 

You can access the IAPT service in more than one way:

1. Online Self-Referral: You can self-refer to the service via the SilverCloud self-referral option (see 'Online self-referral). This involves completing a self-referral form on this website. This is a quick and easy way to get help from our service. Once you have completed the form, you will be contacted directly by a member of the team within 5 working days
2. GP/Health Professional referral: The IAPT service will accept referrals from GPs or other healthcare professionals (e.g. health visitors or community nurses). If you ask your GP to refer you to the service, he or she will be able to complete our referral form and refer you to our service.
3. Telephone Self-Referral: You can self-refer to the service by telephone by calling 0300 303 0639 Our team will take your details and then where possible put you through to speak to a clinical member of the Team to discuss your referral and agree with you the most appropriate way to proceed.

If the IAPT service is not appropriate for you, and we think another may be more appropriate to meet your needs, we will refer or signpost you to that service.

Online help

We offer a range of online interactive therapy programmes, designed to provide a flexible way for you to access psychological support at a time that suits you best.

These therapy programmes are all evidence based guided self-help programmes. The programmes are made up of a variety of different modules, looking at how we think, feel and behave as these contribute to our mood, stress and anxiety levels.

Online therapy can be helpful for people who:

• Have access to a computer, smart phone or tablet.
• Feel confident in using the internet and apps in daily life.
• Feel motivated to change something in their life, and have clear goals to work towards.
• Have busy lives and may struggle to attend regular appointments.

If you feel online help would be for you, please see the ‘self-help’ section. 

Our online self-referral option may also enable you to access a programme of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) techniques for anxiety and depression. It allows people to complete therapy in their own time, at a time and pace that suits them, whilst having regular weekly or fortnightly online reviews with a qualified mental health practitioner.

If appropriate for you, the SilverCloud programme can be tailored to your specific needs. It offers access to a number of different modules that provide information about depression and anxiety and tools and skills to manage these more effectively.

SilverCloud is particularly useful for individuals that have a busy lifestyle and would struggle to attend regular appointments during the day.

If you would like to self-refer, please click here. This will also self-refer if you do not wish to take advantage of Silvercloud online CBT.

You can view a video outlining SilverCloud below:

Self-help is a broad term that refers to improving mental health or personal wellness without extensive professional help. It can be used for a variety of issues and you can do this work in your own time to help with problems such as stress, anxiety and depression.

They can also be convenient if:

• you are wanting information about the problems you are experience o help you understand what you are experiencing and suggestions of what you can do to manage these more effectively
• you are short of time, you have family or work commitments
• you can't get out easily

For some, this is enough to help and they no longer need therapy as they can put into practice the information they have been looking in to. Whilst for others, educational reading and self-help techniques from a range of different resources can help individual prepare for therapy and find it easier to engage with.

Recommended online self-help materials and resources:

Northumberland self Help  https://web.ntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp/ 

A large range of self-help guides are available to download in several formats. Information available on abuse, alcohol, anxiety, bereavement, self-esteem, depression, controlling anger and much more.

The Overcoming Series – https://overcoming.co.uk/7/Home

Suggested books and disorder specific recommendations resources

Cedar- workbooks and resources – cedar.exeter.ac.uk/iapt/iaptworkbooksandresources/

Moodjuice www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk

From the site you are able to print off various self-help guides covering conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress, panic and sleep problems.

MoodGym www.moodgym.anu.edu.au

A free, web based programme that a range of self-help information for low mood.

Get Self Help www.getselfhelp.co.uk

Get Self Help is a website based on CBT techniques and information. 

CCI Health www.cci.health.wa.gov.au

It focuses on anxiety, low mood and eating disorders.

Life Signs www.lifesigns.org.uk

(Self-Injury Guidance & Network Support) it aims to raise awareness about self-injury and provide information and support to people of all ages affected by self-injury.

No More Panic www.nomorepanic.co.uk

No More Panic provides information about Panic, Anxiety, Phobias and OCD. 

Living life to the Full www.livinglifetothefull.com/

The Living Life to the Full is a life skills course that provides practical advise you can use in your own life.

Big White Wall www.bigwhitewall.com/

The support network for emotional wellbeing. It also provides resources for Serving Personnel, Veterans and their families.