"CBT is the only treatment"

I've been referred a few times to healthy minds by different GPs. This is because they believe healthy minds Bucks provides counselling. It only provides CBT. I went for three sessions of group CBT before giving this up. I don't consider CBT valuable or a good enough treatment on its own for treating depression, and the content is a bit patronising and involves a lot of common sense ideas that I've picked up on already via self help books. Not that it wouldn't be useful as an addition to counselling, but in my opinion it's the NHS trying to do things on the quick and the cheap. Even though the service holds all your personal details given in the initial review, and your levels are depression are monitored throughout via questionnaires, I found the service very impersonal. The group CBT option is better as at least you're around people but this benefit is small as this isn't group therapy, it's a classroom. It really doesn't feel therapeutic.

It was distressing to have the intital telephone consultation which is much like counselling and involves a lot of soul searching and self disclosure, only to be told that won't be taken any further. This comprehensive review is only carried out to determine whether a patient is suitable to either social anxiety versus depression CBT and whether a patient is suicidal. Without the treatments available to treat what is disclosed this is both unnecessary and rather patronising as well as causing more psychological distress.

Whilst this is a shame, more importantly Bucks Healthy Minds really need to make sure that GP surgeries in the catchment area are informed properly about the services provided and make it clear to them that one to one counselling is not available here. This would ensure that unnecessary referrals are not made, that time is not wasted, and also prevent further psychological harm to patients who need and want counselling. Overall I felt CBT might have been beneficial via the computer or one to one, only if it was supplementary to counselling. As someone suffering from depression and complex long term psychological issues it really isn't appropriate.