FAQs

We are a collaborative partnership, between Vita Health Group and We Are With You, providing a range of free talking therapies on behalf of the NHS within the Kent and Medway area. We provide a wide range of talking therapies, from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR) and can help you access the professional support you need close to where you live or work, no matter how you’re feeling.

People often wonder ‘what is a talking therapy?’, and with one in four of us experiencing a mental health issue in England, it is important that you are aware of the services we provide in the Kent and Medway area.

You can access our helpful and informative materials about the service we provide in a range of languages to ensure everyone in the local area feels supported. You can find those materials here.

Yes! If you are feeling low, anxious or exhausted, it’s important to access our services as soon as you can. Our free NHS talking therapies really can make a huge difference to your mental health if accessed as soon as you start feeling your symptoms.

We understand that there is stigma surrounding mental health, and you may be wondering if you are ‘unwell enough’ to access a talking therapy. Getting support as early as possible will help you manage how you are feeling before things get worse

If you would like to learn more about talking therapies and what they are, you can learn about how you’re feeling and see how to get support that works for you. Our team of qualified therapists are here to provide you with the help and guidance you need to get your mental health back on track.

Accessing talking therapies in the Kent and Medway area is easy. You can self-refer to our service by completing a form via Limbic, our online referral assistant, or by calling 0333 091 0414. Or, you can go to your GP or other healthcare professional, and they can refer you directly to us through our professional referral form.

Our assessment process is a way for us to chat with you and work out which of our free NHS talking therapies are best suited to helping you with your mental health, to ensure we can give you the best support to cope with your feelings. It involves a member of our team talking this through over a call or video chat, whichever you are most comfortable with – it really is as simple as that.

The process of figuring out how you’re feeling and what happens next follows four steps:

1. Recognise how you’re feeling
2. Getting support
3. Initial assessment
4. Getting you the right support

The assessment process can help us figure out if talking therapies are right for you at this stage in your life, or if referring you to another local place for more appropriate support is better for you.

Our waiting list times vary, based on your circumstances and availability of the best talking therapy for you locally. We are commissioned by the NHS to work to 95% of all our treatments being started within 18 weeks long.

At Kent and Medway Talking Therapies, we are unable to provide crisis support. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or feelings and need mental health crisis support, get urgent help now.

No matter your age, talking therapies are here for you to access.

Maybe you’re starting higher education and you are managing anxiety when starting university or you are managing stress at Christmas time with your family. Regardless of why you are struggling with your mental health, we are here for you with a range of talking therapies.

These therapies can support you with how you’re feeling through services including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Counselling for Depression or Talking Therapies for Couples, depending on what you need.

Our talking therapies can be offered in the form of Digital Talking Therapies, which can fit around your lifestyle, so you can access them at a time and place that suits you. Webinars can be offered through in-person individual or group settings, or you can choose to boost your mental wellbeing, an online therapy programme.

We also offer the following talking therapies:

• Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) to look at how your past experiences impact how you feel and behave in present relationships
• Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) to help you understand why past relationships have broken down and you are feeling lonely or sad
• Employment support if you are experiencing employment-related difficulties because of stress, anxiety or depression
• Other areas of help are available, including support for dealing with a long term condition

Absolutely. Your age doesn’t define your need for mental health support, and later life brings change, including retirement, loss and health concerns, with those changes sometimes feeling heavier than we can deal with. Sometimes, this is the most important time to talk.

We offer mental health support for older adults where you can receive support through our flexible therapy options to help you unload some of your feelings. We work in partnership with Age UK in Kent and Medway who offer weekly wellbeing calls to people aged over 55 on our waiting lists, so you can have a friendly voice checking in to see how you’re feeling.

If you are struggling with your mental health, there are several people you can turn to for support:

• Your teacher, lecturer or another staff member, if you are still at school or continuing with further education
• Your colleague or manager, if you are working in a company
• Your family and friends

You may decide that professional help is the route you need to improve your mental health and help you cope with your symptoms more effectively. At Kent and Medway Talking Therapies, our team of qualified therapists are here to support you from the initial assessment process through to you implementing coping strategies to deal with your mental health. Learn more about how we can help you and self-refer today.

Some of the most common mental health issues in men are depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD and substance abuse.

Three times more men are likely to die by suicide in England than women and only 36% of referrals to NHS talking therapies are for men. It’s important we work together to break the stigma around men’s mental health and help more men feel comfortable in talking about their mental health and getting the support they need.

At Kent and Medway Talking Therapies, we offer support for men’s mental health because we want to help you feel like yourself again whilst breaking the stigma around male mental health.

Whether you are struggling with stress from work, relationship problems or mental health concerns like anxiety and depression, we are here for you.

We understand the challenges men face when it comes to mental health, and we want to remind you that you are not alone. We are here for you. Opening up about your thoughts and feelings can make a real difference.

We all deal with our mental health differently.

There are certain signs which could suggest someone is struggling with their mental health. Maybe they are experiencing a clear change in mood, behaviour or sleep patterns, or they are withdrawing from social activities they usually take part in. They could even just seem quieter and more distant than usual. Regardless, it’s always worth checking in. If you are worried about someone’s mental health, you can check in with them, ask how they are feeling and let them know you are there if they would like to talk about anything. You can make them aware of our services and how we can help if they suggest they are struggling more than you first thought.

If the person you know appears to be in a mental health crisis. you should get urgent help now to ensure their safety. Call 999 for medical or mental health emergencies.