Making mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority
Whether you’re going through a tough time or just know you need to do something different to improve your mental health, getting the right help can make a big difference.
Today, 10th October, is World Mental Health Day – a day to raise awareness of mental health issues and support people in looking after their wellbeing.
This year’s theme is ‘making mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority’.
At Talk in the Bay, we’re passionate about making sure everyone can benefit from mental health support. In line with this year’s theme, we’ll explain how you can access affordable help and what you can do to boost your wellbeing during these challenging times.
How can Talk in the Bay help me?
You can get help for a wide range of mental health and relationship issues using our face-to-face and online talking therapies.
The help we offer includes:
- Counselling – We’ll listen and give you the space to talk confidentially in a safe environment about your problems and feelings. We’ll help you find ways to process and deal with your emotional issues and put you on a path to long-lasting positive change.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – We’ll teach you different skills to deal with different problems. CBT can change the way you think and behave, teaching you coping skills to help you manage your anxiety and break the cycle of negative thinking.
- Psychotherapy – Our therapists can help you explore past and deep-rooted problems that impact the relationship you have with yourself and others. This is often a medium-to-long- term therapy to help resolve the issues causing you distress.
- Schema Therapy – This type of therapy is designed to help you change unhealthy patterns of behaviour. These were formed as a result of unmet needs from the past and continue to impact your relationships in the present. Schema therapy teaches you how to get your emotional needs met in a healthy and positive way.
“Mental health issues can quickly escalate if you don’t receive the right help early on. At Talk in the Bay, our aim is to make therapy simple, effective and accessible – so everyone can get the help they need and experience positive change in their lives.”
Mandy Walsh, Founder – Talk in the Bay
What issues can therapy help with?
Talking therapies can help with a wide range of mental health problems and give you the skills you need to move forward.
The issues our services can help you with include:
|
|
I need help but I can’t afford regular therapy – what can I do?
Most of us are still feeling the side effects of the pandemic, and now we’re dealing with a cost of living crisis.
Not only is this creating an extra load on our mental health, but it also means we have much less to spend on things like therapy.
Because it’s important to be able to access help when you need it, our sister company, ‘Affordable Talk’ Community Interest Company (CIC) offers reduced fee therapy.
This service is designed to make counselling and therapy accessible for everyone and, in some cases, it can even offer fully funded no-fee sessions.
Who is eligible for Affordable Talk?
Affordable Talk CIC is primarily available to people who are on a low income, those receiving benefits, and students.
However, because they want mental health services to be accessible to all, they will also consider anyone who would struggle to afford standard fees.
How does the Affordable Talk service work?
Affordable Talk provides face-to-face therapy in Cardiff and Swansea, or you can choose to receive these sessions online.
(sentence removed)
The fees for a 50-minute therapy session are:
- £10 with a therapist in training
- £20 per online session or £25 for a face-to-face session with a newly qualified therapist
- £30 per online session or £35 for a face-to-face session with a qualified counsellor
(For comparison, Talk in the Bay sessions can range from £55 for individual therapy to £110 for couples or family therapy)
Contact Affordable Talk CIC directly to arrange a session or to find out more.
What type of therapy does Affordable Talk provide?
Just like Talk in the Bay, Affordable Talk CIC offers counselling, CBT and psychotherapy services.
Each therapist has their own specialty and can provide different techniques to deliver the therapy you need.
You can read Affordable Talk CIC counsellors’ profiles here to understand more about how they can help and to find out which languages their therapy is available in.
As a not for profit organisation and a community based venture Affordable Talk CIC are looking to build connections with other local charities and CIC’s to offer a counselling and wellbeing service at a lower cost to your organisation.
I still can’t afford therapy – what are the other options?
If regular counselling fees are beyond your budget and you’re not eligible for affordable or fully-funded therapy, there are still things you can do to help your mental health.
- Access NHS therapy – You can be referred for NHS counselling and psychotherapy through your GP, although you might have to wait several weeks for treatment. If you want help sooner, NHS Wales also offers a free 12-week online course of mental health therapy.
- Get free support from charities – Organisations like Mind and the Samaritans offer free mental health advice and information. They also provide free helplines where you can speak to someone in confidence and without judgement about the issues you’re facing.
- Join a support group – Search online for a support group near you, these are usually run by and for people who experience problems with their mental health. For example, here in Wales, you could join the South Wales Anxiety & Depression Support Group.
- Contact your school or university – If you’re a student, your school, college, or university may offer free counselling sessions. Ask your teacher or one of the pastoral team about this. If you’re at uni, you can also get help at studentminds.org.uk.
- Try apps or using a chatbot – There are a range of mental health apps available, including ones to help you practise mindfulness and meditation. Some apps, like Wysa and Woebot, use chatbots – these mimic having an online conversation with someone who will support you through problems like stress, anxiety, and depression.
- Listen to a podcast – Listening to a podcast can help you learn and absorb practical insights that can help with your mental health. We’ve released our own Talk in the Bay podcasts which you can listen to for free at any time.
- Read self-help books – Reading self-help books can give you a clearer understanding of what you’re going through, why you’re feeling this way and how to manage your mental health. You can find a list of recommended reads on reading-well.org.uk.
Accessing mental health support at work
You may be able to access mental health support through your company – many businesses are keen to support their staff’s wellbeing and provide access to counselling services.
If you’re an employer
We offer a Talk in the Bay corporate service to help your employees with issues that may be affecting their wellbeing and performance.
Our services can help with a range of issues – including employee stress and workplace disputes – and can help to reduce sick-leave in your organisation.
To support your staff, we can provide counselling and psychotherapy services at your premises, in our office, or we can hold online sessions.
If you’re an employee
Check whether your company or organisation provides access to therapy as one of the employee benefits.
If you’re finding things difficult, consider letting your employer know – they may be able to make adjustments for you at work and point you in the direction of help.
You can also find free one-to-one support through the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Spread the word
Counselling and psychotherapy can help you deal with issues that are causing you emotional pain and making your everyday life difficult and unhappy.
However, we know there are barriers to accessing therapy.
Sometimes these are internal, such as feelings of fear or shame, or not knowing what help is available. But they can also be external – like being prevented due to the potential costs involved.
To help with this year’s theme of making mental wellbeing a priority for all, we want to raise awareness of the accessible therapy options available – so everyone can benefit from better mental health and a more positive future.
Sharing this article could be the first step!
To find out more about our services, simply get in touch or call 029 20 103173.
