Primary care mental health service

The Primary Care Mental Health Service is provided by Dorset Community Health Services and is available in the West of the County.

We treat people with mild to moderate common mental health problems like anxiety and depression.

Our service aims to help people achieve and maintain good mental health and wellbeing.

Treatment options

The treatment options we have available are:

• information and advice regarding the nature of your problems
  guided self-help low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Designed to help you gain skills and techniques to understand your current difficulties. Specialised books and activities based on the CBT approach are used
• cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) one-to-one treatment. CBT is based on scientific principles which research has shown to be effective for common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Clients and therapists work together to identify and understand problems in terms of the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviour. The approach usually focuses on difficulties in the here and now, and relies on the therapist and client developing a shared view of the individual’s problem
• counselling – one-to-one treatment. Counselling can help you deal with psychological distress or depression caused by life difficulties, or events, which you are finding it hard to deal with. By talking through these, and understanding why you react or behave in particular ways you may be able to see how to change or move forward. A trusting relationship between you and your counsellor is very important in counselling
• educational courses for example, overcoming low mood, stress and worry – the courses offer an accessible way of learning psychological skills to address the wide range of difficulties associated with low mood and anxiety
• therapy groups – mind over mood and behavioural activation.

Referrals

You can refer yourself to the service by using our contact details below. More information is included in our self-referral leaflet. You can also access the service through your GP or by talking to a primary healthcare professional for example,  a District nurse, Health Visitor or Midwife.

The service is free of charge, open to anyone aged 18 and over and will operate from GP surgeries whenever possible by appointment system.

When you are referred to the service, you will be contacted by letter to arrange a face-to-face or telephone appointment (your choice) with a practitioner who will help you choose the right service for you.

The Primary Care Mental Health Service is split into three areas in the same way the District Council areas are:

• north Dorset – covering Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Shaftesbury, Gillingham and surrounding villages
• west Dorset – covering Dorchester, Bridport, Beaminster, Portesham and surrounding villages
• Weymouth and Portland – covering both towns.

The contact details for the above localities are as follows:

• north Dorset – 01258 474520
• west Dorset – 01305 367051
• Weymouth & Portland – 01305 761501

Please note that the above offices are administration bases and are not drop-in facilities.

If you live in the Purbeck, East Dorset or Christchurch localities please contact the equivalent team below. Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust is the provider of this service.

They are located at: 

South and East Dorset Primary Care Mental Health Team
Oakley Bungalow
15  Oakley Lane
Canford Manga
Wimborne
BH21 1SF

Telephone: 01202 843400
Fax: 01202 843405

Please note this is an administration team base only.