• Replies 13 replies
  • Subscribers 29 subscribers
  • Views 3018 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Waiting List for talking therapies on the NHS

Kate Kestrel

Hello everyone,

im trying to access talking therapy on the NHS. What I’ve been offered is a contracted out service to a private company and the waiting list is over a year. I’m thinking of complaining to my CCG as the GP tells me that due to their contract they can’t offer me anything else other than this useless service (lots of reviews online saying that this company is terrible) and the waiting list is too long. My situation is not mild (I have PTSD and severe anxiety) but I’m still having to wait for over a year.

Has anyone tried to challenge or complain about the delays and poor service with NHS talking ttherapies? I want to complain because it’s a terrible service and totally unacceptable but is it just a total waste of time? I know it will stress me out and use up what little energy I have to complain. 

is there any point in challenging or complaining? Or am I naive to even try? Has anyone else done this? 

thanks 

Parents

  • If anyone is interested, there are a few Aucademy talks on therapy.  Here's one:-

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J72zvz9B-00

    Plus one I personally found useful because it moves away from CBT and into person-centred therapy, which I would definitely favour, along with trauma-informed and autistic-friendly (i.e. individually adapted) therapy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShhpNjbsGW4&t=1s

    I may well be biased but I've had training in both CBT and person-centred counselling and I naturally lean more towards person-centred.  Reading the work of Carl Rogers was a major revelation to me, as well as a considerable relief, leading me to wonder where this approach had been all my life.   Basically, and for those who aren't already familiar, his approach takes its lead from the person.  It is non directive (whereas CBT is very directive, if not prescriptive), non judgemental and accepting, and promotes genuineness within the therapeutic relationship.  

    One of my favourite Carl quotes:-

    "..it is the client who knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial, what experiences have been deeply buried. It began to occur to me that unless I had a need to demonstrate my own cleverness and learning, I would do better to rely upon the client for the direction of movement in the process.”   

    There are too many "therapists" out there adopting the role of expert, imposing their own views or strategies and making it a minefield for many. 

    I'm not saying that CBT can't be helpful in some circumstances and with some people.  Some prefer the direction, the structure and the sense of consulting an expert.  It can be very appealing to people with a very logical bent of mind.  But the usual brief NHS CBT seems to me to be barely any better than a rather basic introductory text.  And their online courses reflect this.  There used to be one called "Beat the Blues" and, although I don't know whether this is still around, it simply took you through the basics but no more and with no tailoring to individual problems.  I can't see that being helpful to many and certainly I had a couple of clients who, even after their NHS appointments came through, came back to me complaining of the "silly" homework tasks and the assessment forms they had to complete each and every session, with little time for actual listening and reflecting.   

    A good therapist will take more time, take care to build a trusting, therapeutic relationship and, if using CBT, use a thorough formulation of the person's issues - their history, what triggers them, how they fit into their beliefs and assumptions and how well any "hot thoughts" are working for them.  I.e. To me they are using CBT built upon a person-centred foundation, such that it becomes harder to tell it's even CBT.  

    Sadly, it seems to be a "let the buyer beware" situation, which unfortunately even applies to NHS work because, even if you've not spent any money, you've been subjected to a long wait, raised expectations and then dashed hopes and disappointment.  So you've basically still been buying in to their model of therapy and, if it doesn't suit you, wasted valuable time which could have been used for something which actually helps. 

        

  • in reply to Jenny Butterfly

    Hi Jenny, Just wanted to say a quick thank you for the YouTube links, very informative and useful. 

Reply Children
No Data