If you’re here because you're thinking about getting some professional support for your emotional wellbeing, you're in the right place. Below you'll see the ways in which we can help.
Brighton and Hove Wellbeing Service is the NHS Primary Care Mental Health Service for Brighton & Hove. We offer NHS Talking Therapies to people aged 18+ through a number of treatments.
You can access talking therapies for free through our service. Your GP can refer you or you can refer yourself using the self-referral button at the top of this page.
Help is available either in person, by video, over the phone or as an online course.
What are talking therapies?
Talking therapies are effective and confidential treatments for mental and emotional problems like low mood, worry, anxiety and depression. They are delivered by fully trained and accredited NHS practitioners. Here are a few examples:
Guided self-help – where a therapist coaches you as you work through a self-help course in your own time, either using a workbook or an online course.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – based on the idea that thoughts, feelings, what we do, and how our bodies feel physically, are all connected. CBT works to help us notice and challenge patterns of thoughts or behaviours so we can feel better.
Counselling for depression – a type of counselling developed for people with depression.
What can talking therapies help with?
Talking therapies can help with mild to moderate emotional problems. You may be:
Feeling anxious
Feeling low and hopeless
Having panic attacks
Finding it hard to cope with day-to-day life
Struggling with flashbacks and nightmares
Feeling stressed
Finding it hard to cope with work, life or relationships.
Talking therapies can also help if you have emotional problems resulting from long-term conditions, such as diabetes, heart conditions, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), long-covid, musculoskeletal complaints including pain, asthma and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Employment Advice Service
Whilst accessing Talking Therapies you can also use our Employment Advice Service run by Mind in Brighton and Hove to meet with an employment advisor 1 to 1 to get support and advice for any work issues.
The service can help with:
Job seeking including CVs, applications and interview skills
Planning a change of career or role, identifying transferable skills
Returning to work after a period of sickness
Developing a Work Action Plan on looking after your mental health in the workplace
Talking to your employer and requesting reasonable adjustments
Attending work related meetings with your employer related to your mental health
Understanding your rights better
The service is voluntary and you choose how to use the support provided to meet your goals. If you are interested in using the Employment Advice Service please speak to your clinician at your assessment or during your talking therapy treatment.
A leaflet with more information on the Employment Advice Service can be found here.
What happens when I refer myself to the Brighton and Hove Wellbeing Service?
When we receive your referral a member of our clinical team will assess your suitability.
If your referral is accepted, we will usually offer you an initial appointment. You will either receive an SMS with a link to book an appointment online or a member of our admin team will give you a call to book in a preferred date and time. The SMS you receive will come from 'Wellbeing'.
If you are referred by your GP, we will send you a referral acknowledgement letter within 10 working days to let you know we have accepted your referral and provide details of next steps.
If your referral is not accepted we will write to you, or to your GP if they referred you. It may be that you’re better placed with a different service and type of treatment.
Your initial appointment, which will most likely take place over the phone with one of our therapists, will last approximately 45 - 60 minutes. This first conversation helps us to learn what difficulties have led you to get in touch, and gives us a chance to talk together about how we might be able to help. It is best to be in a quiet, private space when you are expecting our call.
If you and the therapist agree on a recommended course of treatment during your initial appointment, we will arrange next steps. We may need to phone you back, or write to you with an agreed final plan, but you will know at the end of your initial appointment what will happen next.
Other things to know
Our service is open to anyone who is registered with a GP in Brighton and Hove.
You don’t need to have a diagnosed mental health problem to refer yourself to our NHS Talking Therapies service. Getting support as soon as you start having difficulties can help to reduce their impact.
If your first language is not English, talking therapies can be delivered in your chosen language through multi-lingual therapists or confidential translators. Talking therapies are also available in British Sign Language (BSL) through SignHealth Psychological Therapy Service.
If you have any questions, or if you are unable to complete an online self-referral form, please call our admin team on 0300 002 0060 for assistance. Our phonelines are open Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm.
Learn more about NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression here.
