The Metacognitive Therapy Institute® (MCTI®) is an international mental health company whose mission is to study, educate in, and safe-guard the correct delivery of metacognitive therapy (MCT). The company was founded and is run by Dr. Adrian Wells (originator of MCT) and by Dr. Hans M Nordahl, both of whom are clinical psychologists and university professors.
MCT is a highly effective evidence-based treatment for a range of mental health issues, including anxiety, trauma and depression. Due to its novelty and effectiveness there is a growing demand for training and treatment in this method. This has led to a number of practitioners and trainers offering MCT courses and treatment who have not completed MCTI® recognised training. To make matters worse some do not have a professional health qualification either. We consider this unacceptable and therefore recommend accessing training or treatment through MCTI® channels in order to be confident of the method. On this website you will find links to training, MCTI® registered therapists and other useful resources.
The MCT-institute works in accordance with the guidelines and ethical codes of the health authorities in the UK and EU in research and treatment. Only cognitive oriented treatments that are evidence-based for the various mental health disorders are supervised and disseminated.
by Adrian Wells
Attention Training Technique (ATT) is a specific treatment technique developed by Wells (1990) for use in metacognitive therapy. Whilst this technique was originally developed to be a component of treatment, experimental studies have suggested that it can in some instances have significant beneficial effects on anxiety and depression when practiced in its own right. However, we recommend that ATT is used in the context of a full metacognitive therapy treatment package for optimal effects.
The most reliable and objective way of determining the nature and cause of symptoms is through a complete diagnostic assessment. The first visit should be to the family doctor. There are many medical conditions that can give rise to depression, anxiety-like or other psychological symptoms and it is important to rule-out medical or biological causes before exploring a psychological explanation. Some medical conditions require urgent specialist treatment.
We are excited to announce a brand new online MCT masterclass training programme! Training will be delivered online (via zoom) by Professor Adrian Wells and Professor Hans Nordahl. For more details on the course check out our MCT masterclass page. To register please send your
Study of day-to-day experiences published in Psychiatry Research finds that thought control strategies predict the extent of suicidal thinking, supporting application of the metacognitive model to understanding suicide. Get free access to the article here for 50 days.
A study, led by Professor Adrian Wells at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) and the University of Manchester (UoM), and funded by the National Institute for Healthcare Research (NIHR), has found that Metacognitive Therapy significantly improves symptoms of anxiety and depression for
