Step 2 Interventions
Step 2 interventions aim to support people experiencing mild to moderate depression/anxiety. At Step 2 you will be offered an intervention that will support you and provide you with the knowledge and skills to manage what is happening for you. Interventions include:
Books on prescription: A book can be used as a first step in finding out about difficulties and developing strategies to overcome them, or in addition to other therapies. The book will contain practical ideas and suggestions for life style changes and strategies to manage difficulties. The books available on prescription have been recommended by mental health practitioners and have been found useful by patients, families, friends and carers.
Most of the books are informed by the principles and practice of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and present self-help versions of the kind of therapy that would be offered by a psychologist or counsellor, allowing people to learn about their problem in privacy, at their own pace.
You can discuss the books available with your GP or mental health professional. Alternatively, you can check out the full list of titles available at our Library.
Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CCBT): Self-help approaches are developing all the time, and
computers are now able to provide another way to access help in the privacy of your own home. 'Living life to the full'
is an easy to use, interactive self-help website that offers CBT to people who want to learn to cope differently with depression and/or anxiety.
You can access the programme via the internet, which means you can use the programme anywhere private where the internet is available, e.g. home, work, library.
Go to www.livinglifetothefull.com to look at the introductory module. You can also invite us to be a 'clinical helper' for you, so that we can monitor your progress.
You may also like to try Mood Gym which uses CBT principles. You can find it at www.moodgym.anu.edu.au/moodgym .
Individual Guided Self-help Programmes (ISH): These programmes use books specifically written to help the reader learn new ways to overcome a mental health problem. It can be hard to put new ideas into practice at a time when you may be feeling overwhelmed by your difficulties. Therefore, we offer regular one to one support sessions with a psychological practitioner to guide you through the programme and encourage you at times when it may be hard to keep going.
Our self-help service provides self-help programmes which have proved to be helpful for
- Anxiety and panic
- Anxiety and panic
- Depression
These programmes are based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which aims to help you see links between how you think, how you feel and what you do, so that you can create more helpful life patterns. Sessions are time limited and this is usually discussed when meeting with a psychological practitioner for the first time.
Group workshops: Talking Change regularly runs groups that help people to manage conditions such as anxiety, stress and insomnia as well as offering introduction to CBT.
Employment support: We have an independent employment support service that can help you to update your C.V. We have specialist staff to help you sort out problems at work that are related to your mental health difficulties.
Signposting to other services: We can point you in the right direction to other services which can offer you specialist support.
Medication advice and Lifestyle support: We can discuss any concerns you may have about medication use and advise on appropriate action. Advice about exercise, diet, sleep and healthy living is also available.