A 'Mental Health Practitioner' is someone with a professional qualification. They have an expertise in mental health. They can help you to identify ways to improve your mental wellbeing. This can include:

• supporting you to access services
• offering specialist support
• working with you to build your skills.

Mental Health Practitioners work with people experiencing a wide range of mental wellbeing challenges. You do not need a mental health diagnosis to work with a Mental Health Practitioner. Our Mental Health Practitioners can help you to:

• Build skills to better manage your mental health symptoms
• Understand why you might be feeling a particular way and what can be done to change how you feel
• Identify positive steps that can improve your resilience and coping strategies

Before your first appointment, you may be sent a questionnaire. This helps us to get a better picture of how things are for you now.

During the first session with a Mental Health Practitioner they will find out more about you and:

• Your personal story
• Your mental wellbeing and how any symptoms impact you
• Your goals
• The wellbeing tools you already use

They will then suggest a plan to get the best support for you.  This could be offering a short course of sessions with them to build skills, recommending other services that could offer you the appropriate support, or a combination of these. In the sessions that follow, you will:

• Work towards achieving an agreed goal
• Receive tailored support based on what is most helpful for you
• Review progress and agree a plan for any follow on support after sessions end

This approach can help you build skills to manage your mental health and wellbeing.

All appointments are confidential. A summary is written on your GP record, which you can access online if you want to.  The only exception to confidentiality is if you tell us something that we have a duty to act on to keep you or others safe.

This depends on what is agreed at your initial appointment.  If we are not the best service to support you at this time, we will provide you with information on where and how to access the right support, and if appropriate make referrals for you.

If we are able to offer you support, you will be offered up to 6 sessions. Each consisting of up to 60-minute consultations by either:

• Phone
• Face-to-face

The amount, frequency and duration of appointments is determined by the patient and their goals.  Not all patients need 6 sessions to achieve their goals.

Speak to your GP if you would like to be referred for a consultation with a Mental Health Practitioner.