MBT Psychological Education

Our MBT Psychological Education service is designed for neurodivergent children, teens, adults, carers, and partners. This programme offers a supportive and neuro-affirmative space for fostering positive relationships, enhancing emotional regulation, and promoting a deeper understanding of neurodiversity through the lens of Mentalisation-Based Treatment (MBT). Whether you experience communication differences, emotional dysregulation, or seek to better understand others’ perspectives, MBT psychological education provides valuable tools for self-awareness and relationship-building. Our sessions are tailored to meet the needs of each individual in a supportive, neuro-affirmative environment.

For neurodivergent individuals and their allies, psychoeducation serves as a crucial resource to promote understanding and skill development in a relational context. Psychological education equips individuals, families, and caregivers with the knowledge needed to understand and manage psychological challenges, empowering them to navigate life with greater awareness and control. In the context of neurodivergent populations, such as autistic individuals or individuals with ADHD, and other neurological differences, psychoeducation can be a highly relevant and therapeutic approach.

Mentalisation-Based Treatment (MBT) is an approach that encourages understanding one’s own and others’ thoughts, emotions, and intentions. MBT Psychological Education focuses on providing individuals with knowledge and strategies to apply these principles in everyday life, empowering participants to enhance relationships, improve emotional insight, and respond more effectively to social challenges.

Our sessions are tailored to meet the needs of each individual in a supportive, neuro-affirmative environment.

We have developed two packages for MBT Psychological Education. These focused therapy blocks provide intensive support for enhancing emotional regulation, improving mentalisation (understanding of self and others), and building stronger, healthier relationships. Each block is designed to build on previous sessions, offering practical strategies and tools for sustained growth.

Core MBT Psychological Education (6 Sessions)

The 6 Core Sessions provide a foundational overview of MBT principles, focusing on improving relationships and understanding the MBT stance. It introduces emotional regulation strategies to manage stress and difficult emotions. Following this, service users, are able to access the MBT Therapy or continue with Advanced MBT Psychological Education.

• Session 1: What is Mentalising?
• Session 2: What are the Consequences of Poor Mentalising?
• Session 3: Mentalising and Neurodiversity
• Session 4: Recognising Emotions in Self and Others
• Session 5: Emotional Regulation and Mentalising
• Session 6: How to Use Mentalising in Everyday Life

Advanced MBT Psychological Education (6 Sessions)

The 6 Advanced Sessions cover the Core topics, expanding on their basic overview, offering a comprehensive programme covering emotional regulation, relationship-building, and a thorough exploration of neurodiversity through the MBT lens.

• Session 1: What are the Mentalising Modes?
• Session 2: Mentalising and Attachment
• Session 3: Mentalising and Anxiety
• Session 4: Mentalising and Low Mood
• Session 5: Mentalising at School or Work
• Session 6: How to Sustain Mentalising

Next Steps

After completing the Core MBT psychological Education, you can then proceed onto the advanced or start MBT Therapy.

What are the Differences Between MBT Psychological Education and MBT Therapy?

The key difference between MBT Psychological Education and MBT Therapy lies in their structure and focus. MBT Psychological Education is more structured and focused on teaching individuals’ specific skills and knowledge about mentalisation, emotional regulation, and relationships. It involves a more didactic approach, where participants are guided through key principles of MBT and taught practical strategies to apply in their daily lives. The focus is on learning and training, empowering individuals to understand how to interpret their own and others’ emotions and mental states more effectively. This process is goal-oriented, with a clear agenda of teaching and practicing skills to help improve relationships and emotional regulation. 

On the other hand, MBT Therapy has a more flexible and client-led approach. While it also focuses on mentalisation and emotional regulation, it allows the individual to bring their own experiences and issues to the session. In therapy, the agenda is softer and led by the client’s needs and emotional state at the time, offering a space for reflection and exploration. The client can discuss what is most important or pressing to them, and the therapist supports them in applying MBT principles to these personal concerns. Rather than being structured like an educational program, therapy provides a more open-ended, supportive environment for personal growth and insight.