FAQs
Who are your services for and other general questions
What ages do you work with?
Our services work with all adults aged 18 and over.
The only part of our service that works with people under 18 is our Child Health Psychology team. Please see their service page for more information and links to other services for those under 18.
Will my sessions be one-to-one or in a group?
Most of our sessions are completed one-to-one. However, our service offers a number of patient groups which may be beneficial to you. If your practitioner believes that a group treatment plan may best suit your needs, they will discuss this with you during your initial assessment.
Does where I live affect what services I can access?
Unfortunately this is the case for some of our services; however we can sometimes offer you a service if you are able to travel to a different area of the county. Please see our 'where to access our services' page to see which services are available in each area.
How can I be referred to your service?
Please visit our individual service pages for referral routes.
If I have been in your service before, can I come back?
After you have been discharged, you can return to our service through the normal referral route for the specific service you wish to return to. See the service pages for referral routes.
Where will my sessions be?
Face-to-face appointments are usually held in Carlisle, Cockermouth, and Copeland. But we can also provide sessions in other locations across North Cumbria and North Lancashire. We work from a range of sites, including GP practices, NHS hospitals and clinics, and community centres.
Many of our therapies can be offered via video call and over the telephone, so you may not need to travel if this would cause you some difficulty. Our service does not routinely offer home visits.
At your initial assessment, your practitioner will talk to you about where your therapy could take place. Please tell us if:
- You will struggle to travel to an appointment.
- You have any access needs that we need to consider i.e. a ground floor room, ramps, elevators, etc.
- You need your appointments to be on a particular day/time.
What will you do with the information I share?
A brief summary of what has been discussed at each appointment will be recorded on our own secure patient recording system and can be accessed by other members of your care team, and your GP, if needed. We also routinely share necessary information with other professionals actively involved in your care, including your GP. Please notify your practitioner if there is anything you would prefer not to be shared.
For more information, please see here.
Can a family member/friend/carer attend my sessions with me?
Yes. Family members, friends or advocates of your care are welcome to accompany you and participate in your individual appointments.
For group sessions, we ask patients to attend on their own. This is to protect the privacy of the other group members. If this is not possible, please discuss with the group facilitator or your named practitioner.
When will my sessions be?
If you are having face-to-face, virtual or telephone sessions, sessions will usually take place weekly or fortnightly between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. At your initial assessment, your practitioner will talk to you about what days/times suit you best.
How long will my sessions be?
Face-to-face, virtual or telephone sessions typically take 40-50 minutes to complete, depending on the type of therapy being offered. Please tell your practitioner if this feels too much and they will work with you to agree and move at a pace that feels more comfortable for you.
How many sessions will I get?
The number of sessions will depend on what type of help you’re getting from us. Most face-to-face, virtual or telephone therapies take 6-8 sessions to complete. But some treatments may require more sessions, and some may require less. Your practitioner will explain how many sessions they think you will need.
If you still need help or support once your sessions have come to an end, your practitioner will talk to you about potential next steps.
Is what I say in my sessions private?
Any information shared during your appointment will remain strictly confidential, unless your clinician believes that yourself or those around you are at risk of harm. In this case, your clinician has a duty of care to act in order to ensure your safety. Your practitioner will discuss this with you in this case.
For more information, please see here .
For more information on confidentiality for family and carers, please see here .
What should I do if there's a problem with my therapy?
Sometimes there are problems in therapy that we need to work through. You might:
- Have trouble doing the work between sessions.
- Struggle with coming to your appointments.
- Not be getting on with your practitioner for some reason.
It is important that we work through these problems. We do not want you to feel that you cannot continue with therapy. If you feel able to, please talk to your practitioner. If you do not want to talk to your practitioner about the problem, then you can raise it with our admin team by calling 01768 245954.
I would like to leave a compliment or make a complaint, what should I do?
We aim to provide the highest standards of care for people using our services. You will routinely be asked for feedback both during and at the end of your care episode. If you have any compliments, concerns, comments or complaints about your experience of using our services, we would be glad to hear from you.
Alternatively, the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can take a verbal compliment, concern or comment from you regarding the services that you have been receiving. You can contact PALS using any of the following methods:
Mail: PALS, Cumberland Infirmary, Newtown Road, Carlisle, CA2 7HY
Telephone: 01228 814008
Freephone: 0800 633 5547
Email: PALS@ncic.nhs.uk
For more information on our compliments and complaints procedures, please see here.
What services do you provide and what type of staff are in the team?
What is a Living Well Coach?
Living Well Coaches work across some of our services. They will work with you on issues that may be getting in the way of you living a happy, healthy life. This involves helping you to set goals, and supporting you to achieve these. They may also give you information about other services that may be able to help you.
What is a Psychologist/Psychological Practitioner?
Psychologists/Psychological practitioners work across all of our services. They will offer you talking therapy to help you to improve your mood and to understand how your physical symptoms and your mood are linked.
What is an Occupational Therapist?
Our occupational therapists work purely within the Persistent Physical Symptoms Service.They will help you with practical activities to increase your quality of life. This may include:
- Self-care – washing, dressing, toileting and bathing
- Work – return to work, helping you to stay in work
- Hobbies – finding a way to access hobbies and interests which you used to enjoy
What is a Physiotherapist?
Physiotherapists are based across some of our services. They can offer education on pain, fatigue, and other physical symptoms, and support you to move safely, and increase your physical strength and stability.
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?
CBT is a talking therapy that will help you to recognise patterns of thinking and behaving that are unhelpful, and to learn different ways of coping with difficult feelings.
What is Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)?
CFT is a talking therapy that is most helpful for people who struggle with high levels of shame and self-criticism. It will help you to learn to be more compassionate towards yourself and to manage difficult feelings in a different way.
What is Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)?
EMDR is a type of 1:1 therapy that can help you to overcome the difficult feelings and physical sensations that can occur if you have experienced something traumatic. It uses sets of side-to-side eye movements, sounds, or taps to allow the brain to resume its natural healing process.
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
ACT is a talking therapy which focusses on supporting you to recognise, accept, and develop a better relationship with painful feelings, thoughts, and sensations.
Assessment and Treatment
Will I get blood tests and scans for a diagnosis?
We do not provide medical advice, referral or treatment. Any further medical treatment will be provided by your GP.
Will I get a cure for my persistent pain/chronic fatigue syndrome/other physical health condition?
Our service does not aim to find a cure - we want to help you to manage, and hopefully reduce, your symptoms, in order to live a happier, healthier life.
What should I do if I am struggling to complete a questionnaire I have been given?
The answers you give us in the questionnaire will help us to understand your difficulties and to consider how we can help you. Completing the questionnaire may be difficult due to your medical problem. If that is the case, or you aren’t sure how to answer some of the questions, then please just complete as much as you are able to and we can discuss this when we meet.
Can you prescribe or change medication?
No, we are not trained to prescribe medicines. You should contact your GP if you have any questions or issues with your medication.
Worries and myths about receiving psychological support
Why have I been referred to a psychologist for a physical health issue?
Don't worry - we know your symptoms are not “all in your head”! We understand that living with a physical health issue can have a big impact on your mood, quality of life and wellbeing.
Your physical symptoms may be the primary issue, but they can also lead to a variety of difficulties in other areas, such as sleep, stress, and keeping up with activities that you want or need to do. Our service will support you to learn ways to manage these difficulties, and reduce the impact that your illness has on your life.
How will talking about my pain/symptoms help?
Often, talking about your difficulties to a professional can help you to see things from a different point of view, and to feel that you are not alone, and that your difficulties are normal and understandable. This can be the first step towards taking more control of your pain or other physical symptoms, and learning different ways to cope.
Am I mad and are you going to section me?
We know that it is completely normal and understandable to feel upset, confused and worried when you are living with a physical health condition. This does not mean you are “mad” and part of our job is to help you to understand that.
If I talk about it, will I feel worse?
The talking therapy approaches we use are evidence-based, and have been shown to be helpful for people with a physical health condition. We understand that it can be painful and upsetting to talk about your difficulties, especially in the early stages of therapy. This will be done at your pace, and we will support you throughout.
Is it all in my head?
This is a very common question, and the simple answer is no. We have no doubt that your physical symptoms are real, but we also recognise that there is a strong link between the mind and the body so if you have difficulties in one area, this can affect the other. We will help you to understand this link and to learn different ways to manage your symptoms.
Your wellbeing before/during/after accessing our services
Is how I feel really important to look at? Shouldn't I just be getting on with things?
You deserve to have time and support to recover, and to live a happier, healthier life.
How can you help with my low mood, anxiety and loneliness?
We will meet with you to discuss a plan based on your individual difficulties and needs.
Will I always feel like this?
No, we can support you to change how you feel and make your feelings more manageable.
I've got to the end of my medical treatment, why do I still feel anxious/bad?
Going through difficult, life-changing experiences, such as physical illness, can have a big impact on our mood, our relationships and our confidence. Although the physical treatment and recovery may be quite short, the other changes can last for longer. This is normal and understandable, and something that our service can help you to manage. We will work at your pace to support you to make positive changes.