Free Online Therapy From Mental Health Foundation
From the 1st November to 3rd January, visitors to the Mental Health Foundation’s website will be able to get free access to Depression Relief — an online self-help program that uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques.
Free CBT
Used by Primary Care Trusts in the United Kingdom and employee healthcare providers in the United States, Depression Relief may be suitable for anyone experiencing mild or moderate depression. The confidential program allows users to go at their own pace, learning self-help techniques which can help them manage their condition. The program is being made available by Ultrasis, the healthcare company that developed Beating the Blues, the only computer based treatment for depression recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for use in the UK’s National Health Service.
Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation said:
“Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is widely recognised as one of the most effective methods for treating depression, yet there is a major shortage of therapists. Most people who want to try Cognitive Behavioural Therapy have to join long NHS waiting lists or pay to see a therapist privately. While online CBT is not a replacement for face-to-face therapy, we need to start investigating other supporting treatments that people with mental health problems can use.”
Nigel Brabbins, Chief Executive of Ultrasis Plc said:
“Mental health problems can have a negative impact on the well being of any one of us. We want people to know that the tools and techniques for prevention and treatment are available without having to wait months to see a therapist. Cost effective online programs need to be more widely available and we hope to reach as many people as possible through the Mental Health Foundation’s website who may want help when NHS services are not available.”
Visit www.mentalhealth.org.uk between 1 November 2006 and 3 January 2007 to get free unlimited access for four weeks. You will need broadband access to the Internet. Depression Relief has been designed for those aged 18 and over. The Mental Health Foundation strongly recommends that people should seek professional medical advice if they are concerned about their mental health.
What is CBT?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a short-term therapy that offers a practical approach to problem-solving. It is most often delivered face to face, enabling a person to talk one-to-one with a trained therapist. CBT helps a person to see the link between how they think on one hand, and how they feel and behave on the other. In particular it works on identifying thoughts that are unrealistic and how to change them to more helpful ways of thinking.
Editor’s Note
Automated online therapy programmes delivering CBT can be great stuff — and we have previously recommended MoodGYM, an Australian programme for providing free CBT. But many people like interaction with a real live human as part of the process; if that means you, please do check out our in-house online therapy and online counselling service.
IMPORTANT: The purpose of this blog post is to publicise the free online therapy being offered by the Mental Health Foundation. The blog post itself is not a vehicle for providing free online therapy. The comments form will now be closed to prevent any further confusion. (Managing Editor, April 2007)
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This article was last reviewed by on Tuesday, 26th September 2006. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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http://counsellingresource.com/features/2006/09/26/free-online-therapy/
28th September 2006
Will this free therapy that last only 4 weeks work? What can be accomplished in 4 weeks?.
I did my basic training in Mexico City with REBT (Dr. Ellis’ representative) and got my certificate, but only to know how I could help myself. I attented a week of secondary training with Dr. Ellis’ institute in N.Y.
Now I’m way depressed. I’ve lost 3 children in the last 30 years. After that I lost my mother in 2003 for whom I’ve cared for, for more than 40 years. I’m divorced. Then I lost my nephew/son on 2004 and finally I lost my father last year. For whom I really never had much feelings, he was always way deteached from me and the rest of the family. He just never learned how to express love and I really didn’t care much for him. But we made peace months before he died.
I simply cannot find a reason to keep on living. I’m not suicidal or thought about an easy way out. I’ve been in one-on-one therapy for the last three years and still can’t find a REASON to keep on going. Although I know I have to.
Is there hope and a way out in 4 weeks?. Because it seems to me that I’ve simply forgotten all I learned with Dr. Ellis.
Thank you.
Marcia.
29th September 2006
Hi Marcia,
It sounds like you’ve experienced some tremendous loss over the last few years, including several bereavements. If you were looking for reasons to grieve, I imagine you’d be able to find quite a few.
My own view of these types of automated online delivery systems is that they can do a great job of imparting some of the basic concepts of CBT-type approaches, and I believe that many people then find themselves eager to apply those basic concepts to their own lives, often to good effect. Empirical studies of the effectiveness of systems like MoodGYM (for mild depression, for example) have returned positive results which generally support this view.
But the evidence that some people, in some situations, do find systems like these helpful, doesn’t really answer your other questions, like “what can be accomplished in 4 weeks?” or (I’m extrapolating a bit here) “would this work for me?”.
If I’ve understood correctly, you’d ultimately like to find something that would convince you to feel other than what you actually do feel right now. You mentioned that you’ve been seeing a therapist for three years but still can’t find a reason to keep on going. And, you’ve wondered whether something like the computer-based CBT offering might be able to help you to find a reason.
My own sense, just extrapolating and inferring with wild abandon on the basis of your brief comment, is that there’s a huge amount to your experience besides that quest for a reason, and I wonder is the rest of that experiencing getting sufficient ‘air time’? Or to put it a different way, if you found that reason tomorrow, would everything else take care of itself? If not, what would remain — and would attending to it go any way toward eventually making that reason easier to find?
Not that I would expect you to reply to any of this here in public blog comments; I’m more just offering an initial personal reaction to what you’ve posted in your comment, to do with as you please! :-)
All the best,
Greg
15th October 2006
Hello
I’m struggling with a dilemma in my life. Im currently 18 years of age and have a weight problem. After numerous attempts to lose the weight through different methods, my thoughts always seem to be steering away from weight loss. In other words im not placing a big value on losing the weight, but wish for everything to fall into place in my life.
These things include, general happiness, confidence and to become involved in a relationship. Nearly all my life i have struggled with my weight, but after attempts to get serious which i have, things like the media, music, friends, clubbing all contribute to me being unhappy cause i see the “ideal” everyday and become depressed.
Is this normal? im not sure, everyday i have conflicting thoughts about this and cannot see anything working for me.
Regards
Phillip
25th November 2006
Why would trauma I experienced as a child and young adolescent cause me distress as an adult? I cannot describe the symptoms without feeling silly, but I have felt insecure, feel unhappy with myself and often feel I do more things wrong than right. Furthermore, I have struggled with eating issues, since I was 14 yo and an addiction to ephedrine for several years. Frankly, I feel emotionally and physically drained, which actually makes me feel very unhappy with myself. In the past year, I have noticed that I feel very agitated, paranoid, extremely moody and at times I contemplate/fantasize about being dead. I was let go from a job I loved this past January and have been unable to get out of this rut I’m in. What is wrong with me?
25th November 2006
I have been feeling increased confusion, unusual thoughts and just want to stay at home, which is not helping me at all. These weird feelings are causing me a level of distress, because I am usually the type that can pick myself up and dust myself off. However, I just do not feel motivated in various aspects of my life. I feel like life is intentionally being cruel to me and has been for many years. I have never had the opportunity to be happy or feel accepted. I can’t think of a single day that I haven’t had to worry, since I was very young. I’m tired of feeling like a world-class failure, but no matter how hard I try, I always end up at the bottom again.
20th February 2007
im 18 years old and in desperate need for just someone to talk to … im trying to find a way online thats free as i dont have a creditcard and i live in Jamaica. I just want someone to talk to that will listen. im looking online now because no one will know me here and so i can talk freely, and be myself without someone pushing drugs in my face.
I feel caged. no one really knows me .. the few times i let down my guard [because im too stupid and relaxed] and accidentaly leak out through my mask it ends up with me being sent to some therapist who wants to ‘test’ me , ends up with my poor mother crying windering what she did so terrably wrong, and having to pay a rediculous bill for the ‘proffesional help’.
I just want someone to talk to who i can realy talk to .. its easy online i think because i wont have to see the reactions of whoever is bored enough to read what i write.
2nd April 2007
I am 22 years old. I have suffered depression for nearly 2 years now. I live with my partner and 2 children aged 3 and 1. My partner is an alcoholic and has anger management problems which he will not seek help for. I have no one to talk to as when i try to talk i just end up constantly crying. My partner hates me crying and tells me to stop being such a baby. I need help because i dont know how much longer i am going to cope. i feel like i am having a breakdown. i have no interest in anything, dont eat or sleep and i feel sad and agitated all of the time. my frinds no longer bother with me because i always said no when they invited me out because i didnt want to go. if i ever did go out i would get shouted at off my drunk partner when i did get home and if i was home after 12 i would be in big trouble. he doesnt physically abuse me and i want to make that clear.
please advise me because i feel stuck. i need help.
i would never self harm because i love my children too much, but the thought has crossed my mind, but if i wasnt here to look after them i couldnt bear the thought that my partner would be left to look after them.
what can i do? Please help me.
2nd April 2007
Hi folks,
Please note that the free online therapy mentioned in the article was being offered for a limited time specifically by the Mental Health Foundation at the URL indicated. (I.e., we aren’t offering free online therapy via blog comment-and-reply.)
I’ll now close the comments form for this post and add another note in the blog post itself in hopes of avoiding any confusion about the purpose of the post and who was providing the free online therapy.
All the best,
Greg