In this section...

  1. Adult Community Services
  2. Carers corner
  3. Children's services
  4. Community mental health services
  5. Community response to COVID-19
  6. Dementia and older people’s mental health
  7. Health for Homeless Service
  8. Learning disability services
  9. Medication
  10. Personalised care planning
  11. Physiotherapy
  12. SilverCloud
  13. Spiritual and pastoral care
  14. Suicide Liaison Service
  15. Talking Therapies
  16. Transforming wound care
  17. Tuberculosis Service
  18. Useful information following a bereavement
  19. Video appointments
  20. Virtual wards
  21. Wheelchair Service
  22. Worried about someone's mental health?

Thoughts of harm or suicide?

If you need urgent support, access NHS 111 online or call 111, and select the 2 for mental health help. In a medical emergency and life-threatening situations only, call 999 or attend your nearest emergency department.

Alternative help

The Samaritans are available 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 116 123 free from any phone or email the Samaritans.

If you would prefer not to talk but want mental health support, you can text SHOUT to 85258. Shout offers a confidential 24/7 text service providing support if you need immediate help.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts (or are supporting someone else), the Staying Safe website provides information on how to make a safety plan. It also offers video tutorials and online templates to guide you through the process.

You can also download the Calm Harm App. The app can help you to resist the urge to self-harm. The Stay Alive App is for those at risk of suicide. Both apps can be downloaded free on Google Play and the Apple Store.

Who is Talking Therapies for?

We work with people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly aged 16 and over who are registered with a GP and experiencing low mood, anxiety, stress, worry and depression.

We also provide treatment for people with the following common mental health problems:

  • agoraphobia
  • body dysmorphic disorder
  • obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • panic disorder
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • specific phobias (such as heights, flying, spiders)

In addition to this we offer treatment for people experiencing long-term physical health conditions, which impact their mental health. This includes:

  • diabetes (type 1 and 2 and pre-diabetes)
  • cardiovascular related problems
  • irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Are you ready for therapy?

The first thing to consider, are you ready for therapy?

You know you are ready for therapy if you:

  • feel prepared to work on your difficulties
  • are optimistic that therapy can help
  • can form stable relationships
  • can recognise and talk about feelings and thoughts
  • know you are responsible for change
  • can focus on positive outcomes or goals
  • can commit to the process even though you may be fearful or have reservations
  • are not presenting as a risk to yourself or others

The easiest way to do this, and if you are ready, is to self-refer online.

Once we receive your referral, we can look to get you your first appointment booked.

Making space for your assessment

By contacting the Talking Therapies Service, you have taken the first step to getting your life back on track. Below are some things that you can do to get the most from your assessment.

Make it a priority

The following are important points for you to be aware of.

  • Your assessment appointment will last around 45 minutes to 1 hour. Please ensure you set this time aside.
  • If you do not attend your appointment without more than 48 hours' notice, we will discharge you from our service and return you to the care of your GP.
  • We will call you at the designated appointment time. If you miss the call, we will try you again within the next 15 minutes of your appointment. If we are unable to reach you, we will record it as a non-attended appointment. As per our engagement policy, we will discharge you from the service.
  • If the appointment starts late, we will aim to complete your assessment. If you are more than 15 minutes late, we will record this as a non-attended appointment and will discharge you from the service.

We will send you questionnaires to complete which you should receive up to 2 days before your appointment. Please try to complete them before your appointment. If you have not received them, in the first instance, check your junk email. If you still have not received then, call 01208 871 905, Monday to Friday, 9am and 4pm, or send an email our Admin Team. We will then resend the questionnaires to you.

The questionnaires will help your therapist to review how you are currently feeling. This can support your therapist to work with you to look at the appropriate treatment options.

Making space: Plan where you will have the appointment

During your assessment, we will discuss information of a personal nature. It is important to ensure that you are somewhere quiet, comfortable, and confidential for appointments. This is to allow you to focus fully on the discussion without being disturbed by others.

You will need to be in a place where you are not operating machinery or driving, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. We will not be able to pursue a session under these circumstances.

Making time

You may find it useful to make sure you have a little time to yourself following your appointment. This will help you to reflect upon topics discussed and not feel pressured to rush back to your day.

We may be unable to proceed with appointments if there are children with you. This is to minimise distraction for you when talking to your therapist. We also do not wish to put you in a position where you might become distressed. As a result, you may worry about your children becoming stressed, confused, or upset, or someone overing the conversation.

We are committed to providing talking therapies for parents with young children (under 24 months old). We prioritise assessments for our perinatal patients accordingly. If you are accessing postnatal support, we understand that there are both benefits and challenges to having an infant in the room during psychological assessment sessions. This could be on the parent, the infant, and the therapy process. Our therapists help parents make an informed decision about when or whether the infant is present during an assessment. We can offer a flexible approach to ensure we are meeting the needs of you and your family.

Our commitment to you

We will:

  • provide the highest quality evidence-based assessment, provided by a skilled therapist who receives regular clinical and caseload supervision
  • start our appointments on time, and if there is any unexpected delay, we will communicate this prior to your appointment, wherever possible
  • inform you of any unexpected service appointment cancellations at the earliest available opportunity
  • do our utmost to support you to attend your appointment by making this accessible if you have any additional needs, let our Admin Team know if you have any requirements

We will use your assessment appointment to understand what the most appropriate treatment options are available to you. You will discuss the treatment options with your assessing therapist. In all cases, we aim to offer the least intrusive therapy intervention, which could be including a course or supported SilverCloud. Silvercloud is an online computerised CBT programme with regular therapist reviews.

If you feel that your current situation might make it difficult for you to commit to regular appointments, it may be that now is not the best time for therapy. This will not affect you from being able to receive therapy within our service in the future. You will be able to re-refer yourself at a time which is right for you.

If you no longer require your assessment for any reason, this is not a problem. Call 01208 871 905, Monday to Friday, 9am and 4pm, or email our Admin Team to let them know. We will then be able to offer the appointment to another patient.

We look forward to speaking with you at your assessment.

Waiting times

Within 5 working days of receiving your referral, you will be contacted by a member of our Admin Team. They will arrange your initial telephone assessment appointment with one of our therapists.

Once confirmed, your appointment details will be emailed or posted to you and will include further information about what to expect.

There may be times when we would need to discuss transferring your care with other services if we are not the appropriate service to meet your needs. If you do not hear from us after 5 days, call us on 01208 871 905 or email the Talking Therapies Service. The team will respond Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm.

We expect 12,500 people to access talking therapies a year across a range of services. We assess 93% of people within 6 weeks. Some services receive more referrals than others and these median waiting times give you a guide as to what you can expect.

Assessment current wait time in days

  • 11 days.

Low intensity current wait time in days
Service Days
Therapeutic groups including young at heart, finding yourself again, menopause and stressbuster. 46
One-to-one therapy 61
Silvercloud therapy (accompanied) 105

High intensity current wait time in days
Service Days
Therapeutic groups including health relating, worry less and live more, mood booster and neuro. 88.5
Cognitive behavioural therapy 298.5
Counselling for depression 76
Couples' therapy for depression 13
Interpersonal psychotherapy 52.5
Post traumatic stress disorder therapy 139

This information was last updated on 26 August 2025.