A DETERMINED therapy provider is not letting lockdown restrictions get in the way of supporting people through anxiety and depression.

Workers at Psychological Wellbeing Services, which can offer free support to people registered with a Warrington GP, were initially concerned that a pause on face-to-face contact could prove less effective.

But latest figures have revealed that in February this year, in the middle of the third lockdown, the service saw a 91 per cent recovery rate in people who completed two or more sessions with them.

Operated by national adult health and social care charity Making Space, which is based in Warrington, the service provides computerised cognitive behavioural therapy to people living with mild or moderate anxiety, depression or stress.

Before the pandemic, the service operated at a number of Warrington GP surgeries.

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People looking for support with their mental health would complete a number of tasks and worksheets on a computer, before attending a follow up session with a psychological wellbeing practitioner.

But since March 2020, people have only been able to access support from their own homes through a phone, tablet or computer.

Follow up sessions have been conducted by video call or voice call, depending on preference.

Psychological wellbeing practitioner Sarah Booth explained: “At the start of the pandemic, all we could focus on was what we had lost.

“In counselling and therapy terms, that meant face-to-face sessions, and we all assumed that would be devastating.

“But as time went on, we started to get the sense that the support we provide was just as effective over the phone, and when February's results came through, we were delighted to see that our gut feeling proved to be correct.”

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Sarah says that the service has learned a lot by shifting the way it operates during the pandemic.

She said: “For people living with anxiety, depression, or other mental health challenges, sometimes coming into a doctor's surgery for an appointment can be too much of a mountain to climb.

“Attending a face-to-face appointment can also be difficult for people with caring responsibilities, or transport or mobility issues.

“We are looking into offering a hybrid service in the future, with people able to choose whether they would like to attend in person, or from home. In this way, we can offer the best of both worlds.”

You can ask your GP for a referral to Psychological Wellbeing Services, email ccbt@makingspace.co.uk, call 01925 581755 or visit makingspace.co.uk/ccbt