ABSTRACT
The referral process evolves from the interaction between patient and referrer. The decision to initiate the referral process may be taken by the referrer, the patient, or both. Increasingly, patients tend to request a psychotherapy referral. Having mutually decided that “talking therapy” would be helpful, the referrer needs to choose the most appropriate setting; example in-house counselling specialist hospital based services, private referral. Referrals usually come from psychiatrists, general practitioners, Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT), psychologists, social workers, and other medical or non-medical sources. A letter continues to be the most frequent mode of referral. The content of referral letters is wide-ranging. The referral route may sometimes be selected on an ad hoc basis. Most referrals will continue to be directed towards a Local Psychological Therapy Service, even if the CMHTs become the “gatekeepers” of referrals. Education programmes, Balint type groups, and referral criteria are some examples that could help to refine the referral process.
