Talking therapies are also widely available

Specializing in Anxiety Treatment, Depression and Couples Therapy

Benefits of talking therapy

Talking therapies can help all sorts of people in lots of different situations. You may also hear them referred to as talking treatments or psychological therapies.

Talking therapies work just as well whether you're old or young, male or female, black or white, gay or straight, rich or poor. Your educational background makes no difference either.

Talking therapy is for anyone who's going through a bad time or has emotional problems they can't sort out on their own.

For many adults, they may be the same or more effective than medication.

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Talking therapies are also widely available privately.

How can talking therapy help

Sometimes it's easier to talk to a stranger than to relatives or friends. During talking therapy, a trained counselor or therapist listens to you and helps you find your own answers to problems, without judging you.

The therapist will give you time to talk, cry, shout or just think. It's an opportunity to look at your problems in a different way with someone who will respect you and your opinions.

Usually, you'll talk one-to-one with the therapist. Sometimes talking treatments are held in groups or couples, such as relationship counseling.

Although there are lots of different types of talking therapy, they all have a similar aim: to help you feel better. Some people say that talking therapies don't make their problems go away, but they find it easier to cope with them and feel happier.

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.Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a therapy designed to help people suffering from personality disorders. It has also been used to treat mood disorders as well as those who need to change patterns of behavior that are not helpful, such as self-harm, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse.

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​Talking therapy for mental health problems

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Talking therapies can help if you have:

depression

anxiety

an eating disorder

a phobia

an addiction

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They're often used if you've been diagnosed with a serious mental health condition, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Talking therapies are commonly used alongside medicines.

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Talking therapy after difficult life events

If you're going through a sad and upsetting time, talking therapies can help you deal with it. This could be after a relative or friend has died, after finding out you have a serious illness, if you're struggling with infertility, or if you've lost your job.

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Physical illness and talking therapy

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People with long-term health conditions are more vulnerable to depression, and talking therapies have been proven to help.

Talking therapies may improve your quality of life if you have:

diabetes

multiple sclerosis

heart disease

a stroke

lower back pain (as part of a treatment package that includes exercise)

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Talking therapy for over-65s

Older people, especially those with depression, are as likely to benefit from talking therapies as everyone else.

Depression in later life, especially over the age of 65, is often dismissed as a normal part of ageing. But this isn't the case, and talking therapy can improve your enjoyment of life if you're feeling low.

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​Talking therapy and past abuse

If you've been physically or sexually abused, or experienced discrimination or racism, you may feel able to cope with life better after a course of talking therapy.

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Talking therapy for relationship problems

Couples therapy can save a relationship that's in trouble or help you through separation and divorce. Ideally, a couple should go to counseling together, but if your partner refuses to join you, counseling can help you sort out lots of things on your own.