"MBT group therapy"

The MBT group allowed me to be curious about other people’s minds and experiences, get into their shoes and question my own opinions, reactions, and behaviour in similar situations. The comments and feedback I would receive from other group members and facilitators validated a lot of my own experiences, allowing me to show myself the same validation, compassion, and care when I was outside of the group. Being surrounded by people of different backgrounds, ages, cultures who struggle with the same issues as I do made me feel less alone. Engaging in the group was a good opportunity for me to ‘test the waters’ with expressing my opinion.

The MBT group was helpful by taking it in turns to talk about our weekly events, and if we didn’t have any, being encouraged to be curious with others. Going through our MBT flashcards that list our difficulties and potential triggers was useful to prepare us for how to approach each individual. Having two facilitators is a good idea too, providing a safe space and sense of ‘grounding’ when things would get too emotional.

The only issue I found with the group is the number of people it may reach while the time given to the whole group wouldn’t increase appropriately. I felt discouraged when the group shot up to 7 people but at that point, I was ready to leave and didn’t think too much about it. However, only being given 10-15min to talk about one’s event or even not having the time to bring it up can be quite upsetting.

My overall experience was really good. Staff knew how to manage and handle the group and the sometimes big feelings that would be brought up to the surface. They were great at asking the right questions and reading the room. I really appreciated discussing some certain aspects and experiences in the group during my individual appointments as well. They stayed vigilant and curious about our seemingly unnoticeable reactions to other individuals or topics and encouraged us to address it and talk about it.

I found the whole service extremely helpful and all of the staff I engaged with was great, it was an overall very safe and supportive space. I really appreciate the after care that came after leaving the group and the check-ups as well as top-up appointments that were arranged after my departure.