Service detail

We offer a specialised community-based treatment programme for adults who are experiencing difficulties that are associated with the diagnosis of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD), which may also be referred to as borderline personality disorder (BPD). The therapy we provide is called Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT).  

What is mentalizing?

Mentalizing is a skill we all have, often without realising it. It is the ability to understand our own thoughts and feelings alongside making sense of what others might be thinking and feeling.

When we mentalize well, we can recognise our responses are shaped by our inner world of thoughts, emotions, memories, beliefs, and unmet needs. Mentalizing helps us all to understand ourselves more clearly and to view ourselves and others with a more balanced perspective.

We can make sense of how we are relating to ourselves and others more easily on some days, than on other days. When we are under stress, our ability to mentalize can easily break down. This makes the task of reflecting on our reactions harder to make sense of.  

Difficulties with mentalizing has a significant impact on our relationships, on managing our emotions, and on treating ourselves with care and compassion. 

What is Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT)?

MBT is a talking therapy under the NICE Guidelines for the treatment of EUPD, which primarily focuses on strengthening and bolstering your ability to mentalize how you relate to yourself, and how you relate within your significant relationships. The primary task of MBT is to:

• Experience a more stable and ‘core sense’ of who you are
• Manage difficult and impactful emotions more self-caringly
• Be less impulsive with decision-making: drawing on hindsight and foresight
• Choose non-harmful ways of managing yourself
• Make more sense of other people’s minds and perspectives
• Make sense of your conflicts in relationships, and manage conflict more safely

 What does the MBT Treatment Programme involve?

MBT is helpful in the management of EUPD as it gives you the opportunity to practise your mentalizing skills in a safe, supported environment with your therapy team, both in weekly individual sessions and weekly MBT Group sessions.

Following an initial assessment and engagement period, the next step is attending 12-week MBT Introductory Workship, where you can learn about mentalization, how early attachment relationships shape us, and how these experiences can impact us in adulthood. There are reviews held as part of assessing if you are then ready to embark on the MBT Intensive Treatment Programme. 

The MBT Intensive Treatment consists of 18-months of twice-weekly therapy sessions with the individual session to act as a bridge with how you are engaging in the group therapy sessions. You will have your own MBT formulation, known as My Relational Passport, which includes your goals for therapy.

Following the MBT Intensive Treatment phase, we offer a12-month Step-Down phase of reduced frequency with your individual MBT Therapist to support preparing you to end with our service and to be discharged back to the care of your GP.