If you feel you or your family could be helped by talking through a mental health issue, or you feel that psychotherapeutic input might be right for you, then please do get in touch.
Our clinicians are available to talk through your concerns over the phone and can advise as to whether therapeutic help might be beneficial. We offer appointments throughout the day and run evening clinics throughout the week, including Saturdays. We are also able to offer sessions via Zoom where we feel this is clinically appropriate.
Prefer to phone us first? Call us on 0131 5579894
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Therapy Types
Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) for Adults
Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) for adults focuses on strengthening the ability to understand one’s own mental states and those of others, particularly during moments of emotional stress.
Difficulties with mentalizing can contribute to intense emotions, relationship problems, and impulsive behaviour. MBT offers a structured, relational approach that supports greater emotional stability, self-reflection, and more secure interpersonal functioning.
What to Expect
MBT for adults typically involves regular individual therapy, sometimes alongside group work, depending on the model used. Sessions focus on current experiences, relationships, and emotional reactions, especially situations where misunderstandings or strong feelings arise. The therapist adopts a curious, collaborative stance, helping slow down emotional escalation and restore reflective thinking when it breaks down. Rather than analysing the distant past in depth or applying rigid techniques, MBT stays close to what is happening in the present moment. Over time, this process helps clients better recognise emotions, intentions, and assumptions, supporting improved emotional regulation and more stable relationships.
Evidence Base & Suitability
MBT has a robust evidence base for adults with complex emotional and relational difficulties, particularly those meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder and related presentations. Randomised controlled trials and long-term follow-up studies demonstrate reductions in self-harm, emotional instability, and service use, alongside improvements in interpersonal functioning. There is also growing evidence for its application to a broader range of difficulties involving affect regulation and relational instability. MBT is particularly suitable for individuals who experience intense emotions, rapid shifts in relationships, or difficulties understanding their own and others’ motivations. It may be less suitable where a highly skills-based or symptom-specific intervention is preferred.
“In MBT, we focus on what happens to thinking and understanding when emotions run high. By helping people regain a curious, reflective stance toward themselves and others, therapy can support steadier emotions and more reliable relationships over time.”
