GETTING STARTED
What do I do first?
The first thing is to register with our service. The easiest way to do this is to call us and we will talk you through everything. You may have been recommended to contact us by another health professional or simply decided for yourself that you would like to get in touch.
----------------------------------------- CONTACT US ON (01208) 871905 WHEN YOU WANT TO REGISTER -----------------------------------------
We should then be able to offer you an assessment appointment by telephone on that very same day. (We are happy to call you back if that helps with phone charges).
What if I don't want to talk on the phone?
We understand not everyone is happy using the phone. We suggest it only because it is the quickest way to get things moving and enables us to swiftly answer any questions or queries you might have. You can download a self referral form and post or email it to us if you prefer. [SELF REFERRAL FORM]
How long will I have to wait for therapy?
This varies between 'no wait at all' to 'a few weeks'. (This is influenced by fluctuations in demand, staff holidays, etc). Our aim is to keep any potential wait times to a minimum. This means that we try to ensure you have been offered an assessment on the same day and have begun your treatment within 28 days of registering with us. You can find out more detailed information about any potential wait times for our services in your surgery by calling our admin team on (01208) 871905.
What will happen at my first appointment?
In nearly all cases the first appointment will be an assessment. This is so we can understand a little more about the difficulties you are experiencing, look at the choices available and make a joint decision about what might be the best type of help for you. The focus will be on how you feel about your present life and what you want to be different in the future.
For this appointment, you will meet with one of our Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs) at your GP surgery or one of our locality offices around Cornwall. PWPs have specific training in these assessments. They will be able to guide you, asking helpful questions. For information on the types of therapy we offer - [Click here].
If you are not sure of the location of your appointment please feel free to call our office on (01208) 871905. If you need to view some directions to our locality bases, click on the [About us] page.
What responsibilities exist between you (the patient) and Outlook South West?
To help get the most out of your sessions, we hope you can build a positive relationship with Outlook South West. To help make this happen, both sides naturally have responsibilities to the other. Please click [here] to read more...
If you are unhappy in any aspect of the contact you’ve had with us, please click [here] to read how to take this further. We sincerely hope you have a positive experience with us but in the event that you do not we want to know. Our aim would be to put things right and learn from situations to improve for the future. We also like to hear about positive experiences, so don’t be afraid to tell us about how therapy has been helpful.
What if I'm having thoughts of hurting myself or others?
When struggling, it is not uncommon for people to have difficult thoughts or feel hopeless. However, this is not the same as actually planning or taking steps to hurt yourself.
We are not an emergency service so it is very important that you seek help from the right sources if you are having thoughts of hurting yourself. In the first instance we would recommend contacting your GP. Here are some other sources of support - [Click here]