The NHS Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies service is part of Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.  We help adults with depression and/or anxiety including those with co-morbid long-term physical health conditions or persistent physical symptoms. The service is for people aged 18 or over (including 65+), registered with a Buckinghamshire GP.  

  • Depression (excluding Bipolar Affective Disorder) 
  • Anxiety Disorders: Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), hoarding, Social Anxiety, Health Anxiety, Specific Phobia, Agoraphobia: with or without panic, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Body Dysmorphia 
  • Mixed Anxiety and Depression (the term meaning sub-clinical depression and anxiety, rather than both anxiety and depression) 
  • Adjustment Reaction – to specific life events, which has not responded to active monitoring e.g., loss. 

For more information, see Conditions we treat. 

BTT also treats people with comorbid long term physical health problems/persistent physical symptoms in the context of anxiety and/or depression including:  

  • Cardiac conditions 
  • Diabetes 
  • Respiratory conditions e.g., COPD/Asthma 
  • CFS/ME (chronic and/or post viral fatigue) 
  • Long COVID 
  • Chronic Pain  
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome  
  • Cancer 
  • Menopause 

BTT delivers NICE recommended psychological interventions and therapies with or without concurrent pharmacological treatments managed in primary care by the GP. Interventions and therapies include 

  • Guided Self-Help (delivered by telephone/video), 
  • psychoeducational courses, 
  • computerized CBT  
  • Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), 
  • Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), 
  • Behavioural Activation (BA) for depression. 
  • Couples Therapy for Depression (CTFD) 
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for trauma. 
  • Counselling For Depression (CFD) 
  • Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) for depression. 
  • Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) 
  • Trauma Focussed CBT.         

BTT also provides employment support to people where appropriate who are accessing the clinical service. 

 For more information, see Specialist support and Other Services. 

NHS Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies service is unable to meet the needs of the following:  

  • People who currently experiencing a mental health crisis, are at risk to themselves or others, or who have recently been so, for example: 
    • Expressing a current intent to end life with a plan. 
    • Engaging in deliberate self-harm which has a risk of high lethality and/or significant harm. 
    • Active risk of harm to others or recent history of violence. 
  • Currently being seen in Primary Care Mental Health Hubs; AMHTs, Early Intervention Service (EIS), Perinatal, Eating Disorders, Older Adults CMHTs, Complex Needs Service, or Psychological Therapies, or who have recently dropped out of this appropriate care. 
  • Currently accessing ongoing private therapy/counselling. 
  • Require primary treatment for a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, psychosis, personality disorder, dementia or eating disorder (including Bulimia & ARFID), even if there is an anxiety/depressive issue present co-morbidly. People with these conditions may benefit from being referred to the local Adult Mental Health Team.  
  • Who have drug or alcohol problem that would prevent engagement in psychological therapies. Talking Therapies will work with people who use drugs and alcohol and who have a common mental health problem in collaboration with substance misuse services. The level of drug or alcohol misuse should not interfere with the person’s ability to attend and engage in therapy sessions. If the level of drug or alcohol misuse interferes with the person’s ability to attend and engage in therapy, then NICE guidelines recommend treatment for drug or alcohol misuse first. 
  • Severe physical health condition requiring urgent medical intervention (such as very low BMI, etc.) 
  • Complex needs requiring multi-disciplinary input or longer-term psychological care. 

Page last reviewed: 6 June, 2024