Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire
5th Floor, 27-29 Newminster House, Baldwin Street, Bristol, Avon, BS1 1EHContact details and opening times
Patient ratings and reviews
Leave a review
Help others by sharing your thoughts and experiences about Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire.
Reviews
-
Review titled Blanket statements.
by Anonymous - Posted on 12 September 2024
In my experience thinking positively or reframing your thoughts doesn't deal with root issues. It can be rather frustrating to sit in these meetings to be told your way of thinking is wrong, not the systematic underlying causes. Individuals are too complex for blanket CBT sessions.
Visited September 2024
Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire has not yet replied.
-
Review titled Disappointing
by Anonymous - Posted on 09 September 2024
After having previous problems with mental health and being diagnosed with Anxiety with Depression I had realised my mental health had been slipping into a bad place again. I had previously been on medication which in short term had helped however also had negative side effects I did not want to experience again. I had decided to use vita minds on advice of family and GP. I completed a self referral and waited 2 weeks for assessment. I was offered online seminars but did explain that I would prefer some one on one CBT which I was offered and was placed onto a low intensity course. Sessions were via phone and lasted around 30mins 15 of those minutes were taken every week by safe guarding questions and confirming answers to online questionnaire that was to be filled before each session. The rest of the sessions were to discuss worry managment. After the first session I was given a worry diary to complete I filled this out during the week and returned for the next session with the usual 15mins recap only to go through the worry diary and discuss the difference between hypothetical and practical worries and do the same for the next week only noting what kind of worries I was experiencing. I did so, attended next session where I was asked if I was finding this helpful, I answered not really as at this point although noting everything down was not addressing my concerns and I was told that maybe this was not the best course they would discuss and meet again next week yo see what other support may be helpful. The next week I was told there was nothing vita could offer that I did not fit requirement for anything more and I would be passed other resources. 2 weeks later, an email and some phone calls on my part I received the resources all of which one require payment something I can not financially do. A further phone call and they advised they would not change me to anything else as I did not meet their requirements and I just was not engaging with the service, which considering I had to chase them multiple times and completed required work had left me confused and stressed by the experience. I was made to feel that the reason support was not offered was because of myself and not meeting what they consider to be unwell or invested which when I never saw a person face to face or spent much of my own time trying to get a response strange. Hope anyone else struggling has a different experience than this as I would not recommend.
Visited August 2024
Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire has not yet replied.
-
Review titled Mental Health Journey
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Simon - Posted on 22 May 2024
I recently started to experienced deep depression , but was able to maintain a half life , working full time and keeping myself together . After nearly a year of this I realised I was at breaking point , I had withdrawn , become nervous around people , depressed , intolerant to noise and so sad inside .. I had one large and loud thought every waking moment “ what’s the point of all this “ so hopeless and lonely and disconnected from joy . I felt my life was without purpose . I knew it was time for help .. and finally after much soul searching I sought help from my GP practice before things became bad . A brave bold First step ? Actually the experience from the GP service was shocking , through booking an appointment ; all done on line , to the interaction with a GP calling me back ,which took two days …no physical assessment ( I hadn’t even met the doctor before ) I don’t have dependant issues , how much do I drink ? Do I have a substance issue? No to all these questions Such generic questions to identify the trigger for my depression .What box could I be treated within? None of these boxes represented me . I tried to explain the situation on the phone to the faceless doctor as best as I could , but I was embarrassed and felt silly , “ I just felt terribly sad and Ive considered ending it all” that is all I could manage ..The doctor suggested anti depressants , they would take two months to help me recover gradually . In fact I was informed by the chemist that they would make my symptoms worse initially ; and would take two weeks to kick in .I wasn’t informed by the doctor , how was I to continue working full time ? Being anything resembling the man who I used to be , the man who worked hard to own his own flat , to have a mortgage , a full time job? Not a good start to my journey . The next disappointment came via email , following a telephone tick box interview. I was then sent a referral to Vita Minds which wouldn’t start until a further two weeks later. I was enrolled on a CBT therapy program with multiple other anonymous attendees ! Omg , how many workbooks does a human need to use to get perspective. I was hoping for tools on survival , some really good counselling owing to my reaching out for help , but it was so generic it was shockingly in-personal and irrelevant to my recovery needs . I have now in five weeks still not had any interaction with a physically present human being through the NHS , except the dispensing chemist at Boots and this process cost me £9.90 .The only person to actually warn me that I may become worse from this intervention was the pharmacist . It has felt like the system was actually attempting to make my illness worse by causing multiple negative chain reactions. I felt that I was not a person to this system , I am merely someone passing through it anonymously . “Tick boxes , web Cam seminars , death by power point presentations , and you are on your way … “ Nothing tangible is actually done , no talking therapies , no substantive help or guidance given just really dumbed down explanations of destructive cycles with no personal context. It has been such a disappointment when I was at my most vulnerable, I feel so sad for other people who may feel hopeless if their experience is anything as underwhelming as mine .. I have returned the Prozac , cancelled the therapy after just two sessions and started visiting the gym a little . I am the only person who can recover from this mental health , no-one can be my guide , it feels the system is there for a monetary benefit , a self serving system, where the individual is not seen , not heard . I guess this is a larger problem In our culture , in fact a larger problem In the human race.
Visited May 2024
Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire has not yet replied.
-
Review titled Where do I get the damage they did reversed?
by Anonymous - Posted on 22 February 2025
Asa with other reviews here basic CBT is not helpful. The waiting lists were ridiculous and the appointment s were pointless. Just felt like I was being told of and almost like yes it is your fault you feel like this. Nothing you do or have done is ever good enough. The stern, uncaring therapist or what ever they were confirmed. I do so much to try not to feel like this. I have a full time job. I am constantly active to try to make things better but I am still in so much pain. I was basically told that I am just living wrong. Even though all of the advice is to not lock your self away, stay active, do exercise. I can't win. The person I spoke asked nothing about my life or events that caused the way I thought and felt. Just gave me a tick box exercise and told me that I was wrong. I am always wrong. I can't do anything right this is on of my main issues yet she just confirmed it. Basically confirm that I am rubbish that is why I feel rubbish and then told me there was nothing they can do so liked me off. Told me I'd get some links to more support but nothing arrived. Now I need more help to deal with the way I feel after this experience. I'm just lost and In more pain but no one cares. Really clung onto the fact that I had been drinking more wine. One of my issues is that I have seen people I love taken away by drink and I have never really drunk so I certainly don't have a drink problem. I have been drinking some wine where before I didn't drink any wine.you could see the eyes light up when they thought they could use this to discharge me. I stayed until my anxiety and depression scores increase because my mum was ill. Increase scores too complicated go away! And that was that. I need a sociologist not a bored person who decided to to a councillor course on line over lockdown. I can't afford one of those and the NHS have wasted all the money on vita. I'm not getting any help so the damage is done. I am not worth helping. I am alone.
Visited December 2023
Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire has not yet replied.
-
Review titled Pointless
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Emma McColm - Posted on 27 November 2023
Self referred and got forwarded to Secondary services as I'm over the threshold, got refused by mental health services and taken on by the crisis team, then discharged and told to go back to Vitaminds. Did a second referral and got refused again. Each time I get rejected it makes me more unstable.
Visited November 2023
Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire has not yet replied.
-
Review titled Well meaning but poorly trained staff
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 21 June 2023
Obviously some benefits to CBT but the treatment came so late that the recovery I had made myself was undermined. There is a period of necessary reflection required by the process but the lateness of this (and it’s poor delivery by Vitaminds) set me back. If this had been available months previously with a qualified practitioner it may have had a positive effect. Whilst the staff are well meaning I didn’t always feel they were qualified or understood the process fully themselves -it felt like I was being treated by someone reading a leaflet or working from a screen in a call centre.
Visited June 2023
Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire has not yet replied.
-
Review titled Stresssful and traumatic process
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Curtis Osborne - Posted on 21 November 2024
Waited a year and a half waiting list for this service, to be told I scored a 10/10 for depression, 10/10 for anxiety, yet there was nothing they could do for me. The service didn't refer me onwards elsewhere, they just left me to crumble
Visited April 2023
Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire has not yet replied.
Information supplied by Vita Health Group