PEOPLE in Worcestershire suffering with anxiety or depression are invited to try out one of the most effective therapy techniques at a free taster session next week.

As part of a month-long campaign raising awareness of mental health issues and support available to people suffering with them, Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust is running Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) taster sessions at Asda in Market Street, Bromsgrove, on Wednesday, October 8.

CBT is a talking therapy aiming to help people change the way they think and behave and is based on the concept that thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected.

The technique aims to help people break the cycle of negative feelings and actions by breaking down problems into smaller parts.

Members of the trust’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies service will be on hand between 11am and 5.30pm offering 45-minute sessions explaining what CBT is and how it can help. Visitors will then be a chance to sign up for a triage assessment to determine their specific needs.

Cognitive behavioural therapist Hannah LeServe said: “Unlike some other talking treatments CBT deals with your current problems rather than focusing on issues from your past.

“It looks for practical ways to improve your state of mind on a daily basis.

“This is the first taster session we have run.

“Our aim is to reach out to people who may benefit from some CBT but don’t know about it. If this is helpful we will look into doing it across the county.”

For more information call 01527 488 631.

People with mobility problems who are unable to climb up stairs are asked to call ahead before visiting.