--- title: "Your first NHS Talking Therapies appointment: NHS Guidance" description: "What to ask before an NHS Talking Therapies assessment in England, how to prepare your notes and how to clarify the next step." url: https://healthanswers.co.uk/guides/first-nhs-talking-therapies-appointment/ robots: noindex --- # Your first NHS Talking Therapies appointment: NHS Guidance Practical health guides What to ask before an NHS Talking Therapies assessment in England, how to prepare your notes and how to clarify the next step. Written by HealthAnswers Practical editorial guide · Medical review not recorded. Drafted and source-checked with AI assistance. [What this means](https://healthanswers.co.uk/about/how-we-review/#editorial-guides) Sources checked 8 September 2026 ## Quick answer How do I prepare for my first NHS Talking Therapies appointment? Your first NHS Talking Therapies contact usually helps the service understand what is troubling you and discuss suitable support. Prepare a few notes about daily life, what you hope will change and any communication needs. Check the appointment format and next steps with your local service. This guide covers England; arrangements vary locally. ## Who is this page for? People preparing for healthcare conversations or checking public health information. Service eligibility and local arrangements vary. ## Who should skip this page? Skip this page if you need a diagnosis, a prescription, or emergency care. It cannot replace a GP, pharmacist, NHS 111 or 999. If you are in immediate danger, call 999; for urgent advice that is not life-threatening, call 111 in England, Scotland or Wales, or use your GP out-of-hours service in Northern Ireland. On this page 6 sections ## Key points - This guide describes NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression in England. - An initial assessment is a conversation about your needs; it is not a promise of a particular therapy. - Ask your service about communication support, the appointment format and what happens afterwards. ## Check that this is the right service This guide covers **NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression in England**. For support elsewhere in the UK, start with your GP or the [mental health support routes](https://healthanswers.co.uk/mental-health/). Children and young people may need a different service. The [NHS explains the eligibility and self-referral route](https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/talking-therapies/). You do not need to know which therapy you want before asking for help. If you are unsure whether the service meets your needs, speak with your GP or the service. [Find your local NHS Talking Therapies service in England](https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-an-nhs-talking-therapies-service). ## Understand what the first contact is for An initial conversation helps the service understand your difficulties and their effect on your life. For example, [Herefordshire and Worcestershire’s service describes an assessment followed by discussion of suitable support](https://www.talkingtherapies.hwhct.nhs.uk/selfreferral/). That is a local example, not a fixed timetable or process for every service. Your appointment letter or message should tell you how to attend. If it is unclear, ask whether the appointment is by telephone, video or in person, how much time to allow and whether you need to complete anything beforehand. ## Prepare a few notes in your own words You do not need to write a complete life history. A short page can help if you lose your train of thought. Try these sentence starters: - “The reason I asked for help now is…” - “One ordinary day that shows the difficulty is…” - “Something I have stopped doing or find harder is…” - “What I most want help with is…” - “Something I might find difficult to explain aloud is…” These are prompts for a conversation, not a questionnaire or a score. Leave out anything that does not help you. Keep the notes somewhere you feel comfortable using them during the appointment. ## Ask for support with the conversation Tell the service beforehand if you need an interpreter, a different information format or help using the appointment technology. The [NHS suggests asking for communication support and explanations you can understand](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/what-to-ask-your-doctor/). You can ask: “Can you explain how you will use what I tell you, who can see the notes and whether someone can support me at the appointment?” Let the service explain its arrangements; do not assume every setting has the same process. ## Leave with a clear next step Before the conversation ends, write down what you have understood and check it with the practitioner. Useful blanks to fill in are: - The next contact is expected: … - I need to do: … - The service will do: … - If I have not heard back, I can contact: … - If my situation changes before then: … Keep the service’s contact details with your notes. Our [waiting for NHS care guide](https://healthanswers.co.uk/guides/waiting-for-nhs-care/) covers practical follow-up questions. ## If you need help before the appointment Do not wait for a routine appointment if you need urgent help. Use the [UK mental health crisis contacts](https://healthanswers.co.uk/mental-health/#urgent-support). Call **999** or go to **A&E** if someone’s life is at risk or you cannot keep yourself or someone else safe. ## Common questions Do I need a GP referral or a diagnosis first? For NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression in England, you can usually refer yourself without a diagnosis or GP referral. You need to be registered with a GP and usually aged 18 or over; some services accept people aged 16 or over. Check the local service's criteria. Will therapy start at the first appointment? The first contact may be an assessment to discuss your needs and options. Ask the service whether it is an assessment or a treatment session, and what will happen afterwards. How long will I wait after my assessment? Your local service can explain its current process and expected contact dates. We cannot give an individual waiting time. Ask whom to contact if you have not heard back and what support is available while you wait. ## Sources - [NHS — talking therapies](https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/talking-therapies/) - [Herefordshire and Worcestershire Talking Therapies — accessing support and assessment](https://www.talkingtherapies.hwhct.nhs.uk/selfreferral/) - [NHS — what to ask your doctor or other healthcare professional](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/what-to-ask-your-doctor/)