Solent NHS Trust launches videos of patient experiences of psychological therapy

Solent NHS Trust has launched two new videos in conjunction with students at Solent University highlighting the benefits of psychological therapy as a way of managing mental health.

The videos are being broadcast on the big screens in Guildhall Square in Portsmouth city centre this week to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week.

One of the participants in the videos, Tori Finney, talks about how she uses her experiences of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for her Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which she received through the Solent NHS Mental Health Recovery Team.

She said: “When I came to treatment I was a broken human being, I was stooped, had a mask-like facial expression and could not make eye contact. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy with Dr Thomas Richardson completely changed all of that and gave me my life back. So when I was offered the opportunity to take part in this video I was happy to be involved as I wanted to pay back what had been done for me. So thank you again to Dr Tom, the film students who handled the subject with great maturity and sensitivity and all of the staff at Solent NHS Trust.”

The second video describes a patient’s journey through Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) in his own words. DBT is used to help those with emotionally unstable personality disorder. In the video, the service user talks about why he needed the therapy and what parts were most helpful for him.

Dr Thomas Richardson, clinical psychologist at Solent NHS Trust, said: “Therapy can be life changing, but it is also very hard work. These videos help our service users hear what therapy is really like from someone who has been there. They send a really powerful message to other people who might be unsure about therapy.

“I also hope that, as part of mental health awareness week, there might be people who recognise elements of the videos in themselves, and that this helps them try to get help.

“I would like to thank those who took part in the videos and the very talented students from Solent University who produced these films.”

Kate O’Driscoll, Senior Lecturer of TV Production within the School of Media, Art and Technology at Solent University said: “Second year students on the TV Business and Practice Unit have the opportunity to work with external clients as part of their assessment. This year production teams worked with Solent NHS Trust to deliver two films for mental health awareness week.

“The students proved themselves to be excellent ambassadors for the University as they worked on challenging briefs which require professionalism, sensitivity, creativity and teamwork. The results are not only an excellent example of real-world learning, but highly professional films that will be used on the Solent NHS Trust website to inform and promote their work around mental health.”

You can watch the two videos on the Solent NHS Trust YouTube channel by visiting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H596qCRPxY and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d68PApbe_5o

For more information, advice and support on mental health, CBT and DBT visit www.mind.org.uk, www.ptsduk.org or www.rcpsych.org.uk or speak to your GP.