TWO women from Oxfordshire have praised a new mental health partnership for turning their lives around.

The TalkingSpace Plus was launched on Monday after running for around six months and offers a wide range of therapies and wellbeing activities fpr people with mild to moderate depression and anxiety.

The partnership is an NHS service for those aged 18 and over delivered by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxfordshire Mind and Principal Medical Ltd.

Carly Gee from Barton in Oxford and Carolyn Major from Banbury are regular users of the partnership's services and say its work has been life-changing.

Ms Gee was recommended to Oxfordshire Mind following her second suicide attempt after being clinically diagnosed with depression at the age of 18 and later being given an additional diagnosis of anxiety.

The 26-year-old said: "I really couldn't recommend these services enough and I would encourage anyone who thinks they might have anxiety or depression not to be afraid to talk about it to a charity like Mind because one in four of us is now affected by it.

"They helped me in so many ways and have taught me about things like mindfulness, which involves living in the moment and not thinking about all the things that are worrying you."

TalkingSpace Plus has worked with 6,500 people since being set up and is expected to help 10,700 people in the coming year in line with the one if four people who are affected across the UK.

It provides one point of access for people to receive cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling and other talking therapies, in addition to wellbeing services, all provided by the one service as opposed to three separately commissioned organisations.

Mrs Major, 67, first began having CBT three years ago after living with depression for 30 years and says she would encourage anyone who thinks they may have depression or anxiety to get in touch with TalkingSpace Plus.

She said: "For me, having depression was like looking through a black picture frame and everything was grey and cold and there was no light in my life.

"I would encourage anyone who feels as if they might be depressed to email or call TalkingSpace Plus because it's not at all scary, you can get help very quickly and you can self-refer.

"There is something to facilitate all and what they do is brilliant."

June Dent is the clinical lead for TalkingSpace Plus and she said the aim of the partnership is to help people get well and stay well.

She said: "Our patients tell us that we make a real difference – helping them to enjoy themselves, stop worrying, and get back to work.

"People have been helped to overcome obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, excessive worries, social anxieties and health anxieties.

"Through providing a single point of access and working as a partnership we can offer an improved, joined-up service to people in Oxfordshire ensuring they receive the support they need in a very flexible way."

The partnership runs classes in different locations and at different times of day, has computerised programmes and telephone support.

For more information on the services provided call 01865 901222 or visit: talkingspaceoxfordshire.org.uk