Let’s Talk About Psychological Therapies is a Hafal initiative funded for three years by the Big Lottery People and Places Programme. Its purpose is to promote access to evidence-based psychological (or talking) therapies for people within Wales with a serious mental illness.
The recommended form of treatment for the majority of mental illnesses is ‘dual therapy’ – which typically means medication in combination with an appropriate talking therapy (as recommended by NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence). Many people who receive dual therapy describe it as ‘life changing’.
Evidence increasingly suggests the cost effectiveness of talking therapy, with improved patient outcomes for those who receive early access; often alleviating the negative impact mental illness can have on the individual, their family and the wider community.
Unfortunately, when someone has a lived experience of mental ill health their opinions, wishes, and choices can get lost or not taken seriously. Also, medical professionals can often miss the importance of what a person with...
