NHS East Cheshire Talking Therapies

21/11/2025

NEW courses in January 2026

20/11/2025

You’re not alone. Many people face mental health challenges - getting the right support can make all the difference.
🎥 Watch our Readiness for Therapy video to see how Talking Therapies can help you take the next step: http://bit.ly/43UVPw9
For more information on Talking Therapies East Cheshire visit our website
https://www.thebiglifegroup.com/service/talking-therapies-eastern-cheshire/

14/11/2025

Move Your Body Regularly: Exercise isn’t just for fitness. It is a powerful way to manage stress, boost mood, and improve sleep. A short daily walk, stretching, or a quick home workout can make a big difference.
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Prioritise Quality Sleep: Sleep is essential for mental and physical health. Aim for consistent bedtimes, limit screen time before bed, and create a calm, dark sleep environment to help your body recharge.
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Connect with Others: Strong social connections can reduce stress and increase happiness. Make time to catch up with friends, family, or colleagues; even small interactions can boost wellbeing.
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Spend Time Outdoors: Nature has a calming effect on the mind, helping you reset. Whether it’s a hike, a walk in the park, or just sitting outside, spending time in natural surroundings supports mental clarity and relaxation.
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Practice Mindfulness or Reflection: Take time each day to check in with yourself. Meditation, journaling, or simply pausing to breathe deeply can improve focus, reduce anxiety, and help you feel more grounded.
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Take a warm bath: Warm water soothes the body and activates the mammalian dive reflex, which helps calm the nervous system and slow your heart rate. It’s a simple way to create a deep sense of calm.
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Slow down your pace: The hustle of modern life keeps us in a constant state of alert. Taking time to pause, even for a few minutes, helps shift the body out of stress mode and into a calmer, more present state.
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Play feel-good music: Music impacts mood through the release of dopamine — the brain’s “feel-good” chemical. Uplifting songs can quickly shift your emotional state and boost your energy or calm.
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Cook something you enjoy: Cooking supports routine, activates the senses, and gives a sense of purpose. Even a simple dish can help you feel grounded, present, and cared for - by you.
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Cuddle a pet (or spend time with one): Interacting with animals increases oxytocin (the bonding hormone) and reduces cortisol (the stress hormone), helping you feel safe, comforted, and less alone.
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10/11/2025

NEXT COURSE JANUARY 2026!
We now offer Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Courses at East Cheshire Talking Therapies.

MBCT is recommended by NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) as an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression.
Our MBCT courses are a great way to understand thought patterns and how to work with these in more helpful ways.

Mindfulness is a particular way of paying attention to the present moment. When we’re tuned in to the present moment, the mind is less likely to get caught up in unhelpful patterns of thinking and feeling.

Mindfulness helps us become more aware of our thoughts and emotions and relate to them in a different way. We learn skills that can help us to:
• Become more focussed and steady
• Feel less overwhelmed
• Respond more wisely to difficulties
• Be kinder to ourselves and more accepting of how things are

This can reduce symptoms of depression and reduce the chances of depression returning.

If you are registered with a GP in East Cheshire, you can refer by going to our website or calling 01625 469950.
https://www.thebiglifegroup.com/service/talking-therapies-eastern-cheshire/

07/11/2025

In the UK, Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month takes place each November. The month-long initiative raises awareness about the mental health challenges that men may face, educates people about mental illness, and encourages honest conversations that may help reduce stigma.
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The goal is to make it easier for men to get support in addressing concerns such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, which are often underreported and undertreated among men because of societal expectations and a pressure to appear “strong.”
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From a young age, men are often taught that showing emotion is a sign of weakness. As a result, they may grow up to believe that being emotionally vulnerable isn’t masculine. This belief can make it hard for them to talk about mental health struggles, because they may fear that people will think less of them.
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Men in the UK report significantly lower life satisfaction than women, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Here are some other numbers about how mental health struggles can impact UK men specifically:
12.5% of men in England are currently experiencing a mental health disorder.
75% of people who die by su***de are men.
The highest su***de rates are among men aged 45–49 years.
40% of men have never spoken to someone about their mental health.
Men are almost three times more likely than women to become dependent on alcohol.
Almost twice as many men than women die from alcohol-specific causes.
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Men face unique mental health struggles, including higher rates of death by su***de and a higher prevelance of certain conditions. Many men feel uncomfortable discussing mental health struggles due to the stigma surrounding mental health and the societal expectations often placed upon them. Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month aims to reduce the stigma and offer support to men going through emotional challenges. Resources such as the Mental Health Foundation, the NHS, Mentell, and Andy’s Man Club are available for supporting men’s mental health by helping any man who wants to learn more about mental health or connect with someone who can help.
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07/11/2025

31/10/2025

This Halloween, we're highlighting the benefits of controlled fear responses.
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The benefits of controlled fear may extend to the body. Researchers found that people taking part in a haunted house experience showed signs of healthy immune activation - a short-term stress response that can help strengthen immunity. So, a good fright, in moderation, might act like a mini workout for your nervous system.
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The trick is to find your “sweet spot of fear”. It’s that point where a story feels thrilling rather than overwhelming. Too little fear, and it’s dull; too much, and it’s unpleasant. But just the right amount can leave you energised, alert and strangely uplifted!
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So don’t be too quick to switch off the scary stuff this Halloween. Dim the lights, grab a blanket, and let your heart race a little. That rush of adrenaline and relief could be the most surprising act of self-care you try this autumn.
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Here are some tips for enjoying a good scary movie:

Start small: Choose something more suspenseful than gory, a spooky ghost story or a classic thriller instead of a full-on slasher.

Watch in good company: Sharing scares makes them less intense and more fun.

Notice your reactions: Pay attention to how your body feels – your breathing, your heartbeat, that little shiver down your spine.

Cool down afterwards: Go for a walk, have a chat, or watch something light-hearted before bed.

Find your balance: If a film feels too much, take a break. The goal is excitement, not exhaustion.
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14/10/2025

OCD Awareness Week, observed annually in October, is a global initiative dedicated to raising awareness about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and supporting those affected by it. Organised by mental health organisations and advocacy groups, this week aims to dispel myths, educate the public about OCD, and promote understanding and empathy for individuals living with the disorder. OCD Awareness Week also highlights the importance of early diagnosis, effective treatment, and the need for ongoing support for those managing OCD.
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There is a public misconception that obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is just a minor personality quirk or preference and that everyone is "a little bit OCD." In reality, OCD is a serious and often debilitating mental health disorder that affects people of all ages and walks of life, and occurs when a person gets caught in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions.
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Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that trigger intensely distressing feelings. Compulsions are behaviors an individual engages in to attempt to get rid of the obsessions and/or decrease distress.
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Most people have obsessive thoughts and/or compulsive behaviors at some point in their lives, but that does not mean that we all have “some OCD.” In order for a diagnosis of OCD to be made, this cycle of obsessions and compulsions must be so extreme that it consumes a lot of time (more than an hour every day), causes intense distress, or gets in the way of important activities that the person values.
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More information about OCD and OCD Awareness Week can be found at: https://iocdf.org/
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10/10/2025

Today is World Mental Health Day. This year’s theme, Access to Services: Mental Health in Emergencies and Catastrophes, recognises that mental health care can make all the difference to a person’s recovery.
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The world is going through a tough time right now and even if you're not directly affected by events, it can still feel like a lot to cope with. It's okay to ask for help, no matter what you, or anyone else is going through.
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We may not have the power to influence or change everything we’d like to on a global scale. But there are things we can do to protect ourselves and others from feeling overwhelmed and hopeless in the face of current events.
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Tips to manage overwhelm
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Set boundaries with the news: Ask yourself how much news content you’re happy to take in, and how often. It’s okay to take a break from the news, and doing so can be beneficial.
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Use grounding exercises: When global issues are too much to handle, grounding yourself in the here and now can ease your stress response. You could try practising mindfulness, using a grounding exercise, or going for a walk in nature to help bring you back to the present moment.
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Have phone-free times: If you often find yourself doomscrolling, having set phone-free times or zones could help break this habit. For instance, you could try turning off notifications or switching your phone to aeroplane mode at certain times of the day.
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Focus on what you can control and positive actions you can take: Although what’s happening in the world can feel very overwhelming, small actions still matter.
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Give yourself permission to rest: Rest isn’t something you need to earn – it’s essential for wellbeing. Taking time to look after yourself doesn’t mean you’ve stopped caring about anything else; it means that you are looking after yourself so that you can keep on caring.
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Talk with others: When you feel overwhelmed, it can help to connect with other people. You could spend some quality time with loved ones, family or friends.
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