The client was from a BME background and referred herself to IAPT after being recommended by her GP due to anxiety.
On attending her first appointment she reported that this had a significant impact on her mood so the worker explained the concept of behavioural activation and made plans to continue her levels of activity.
The sessions changed to telephone sessions at the request of the client after her first treatment appointment as she advised she would not be able to continue to attend face-to-face appointments because of her son’s childcare. The client found this particularly useful in order to remain in treatment.
The second session involved giving the client psych-education about the symptoms of anxiety and how she could reduce the physical symptoms by using breathing techniques and progressive muscle relaxation.
The third session reviewed the client’s progress with behavioural activation and using the breathing techniques and relaxation. The client felt she was making good progress in treatment and felt ‘happy’.
The final session focused on relapse prevention in order to ensure that the client’s positive progress continued after treatment. We created a plan that the client could use in the future to remind herself of the techniques that she can use when she feels stressed. Client reported that she had benefited from attending the sessions, and reported that she had felt a significant improvement in her mental health and now had ways to cope with how she is feeling. She has re-engaged in activities that she enjoyed and felt that she had regained a purpose in life.
Touchstone Annual Review 2015-2016
