Connect Psychology — Mental Health Services in Bristol, England

Very Good trauma therapy CBT

Disappointing

Very good CBT course for anxiety. Provided lots of practical advice to help you understand and challenge negative thinking and behaviour. Would recommend to anyone experiencing anxiety.

Not really that impressed. The group in itself didn't particularly help me, and counselling or therapy haven't really worked for me and this was a last resort/a final attempt. So this was something more personal and not necessarily the fault of Connect. However, the person I had the group session with was friendly, but kind of patronising... For example telling us in a group session about low mood an anxiety that we should not worry about certain things, it is consuming and if it's unnecessary, to just let it go. Which for someone suffering with depression and anxiety, is useless information. Additionally, every week you are asked to rate with numbers the levels of your anxiety and depression over the past 2 weeks, which is an impossible thing to ask for someone struggling with mental health? Tick boxes doesn't work for depression, depression doesn't have a number... Throughout they informed us that if we no longer wanted to attend call them and we will be given the option to changed groups/courses etc. Called today to say I don't feel like I benefit from this - if anything it has worsened how I am, and they just said fine, I'll tell someone, after taking my name and number and hung up without even saying goodbye. Very rude.

There were huge communications difficulties with this practice and they did not understand, nor did they have the time or the patience to listen and understand my fears and how I was feeling. The only good thing that case of my course was the paperwork, which I refer to for guidance. My therapist wanted to speak to my mother, despite me repeatedly saying I had not lived with my parents for over 3 years. I was referred for CBT for Pure O OCD, my biggest fear was stabbing my husband with a knife. My therapist said we would start by looking at pictures of knives and holding and using wooden or plastic ones, that never happened. She wanted to combat my fear of public transport and my social anxiety as well as knives, all in 10 sessions. The first exposure she assigned me was to go on the bus without music (my usual comfort) to ASDA to look at kitchen knives with my husband meeting me... then she wondered why I failed the task and routinely condescended my apparent "lack of effort"! There were huge communication issues and I was constantly afraid of somehow failing my assignments that in the end I quit the course. Oddly enough, the only time communication seemed to get through was the day I called up and said I would not be attending again. The big no-no for me was the day my therapist told me she was so pleased with the way I wrote up what I had been doing that she had been showing it to other therapists, I hadn't okayed that and nor had I signed anything! That was the moment I resorted in telling my therapist no further information, a big issue for the trust we are supposed to have in our therapists! I still have my difficulties, but I know it's anxiety and my husband and my family are far more aware and supportive now, and I am able to tackle life much better. In actual fact, my confidence and ability to manage my anxiety increased ten-fold once I turned my back on Connect!

"Having these sessions has helped me become a stronger person. I came with no goals in life but have left with so many. The care I have had has helped me get my life under control and helped me become the person I used to be. Konstantina understood me and helped me so much I cannot thank her enough", Adam