We work from locations across London and online. Please see individual therapists' profiles in the "Team > About Us" section for their locations. Our groups are run in King's Cross, Islington and online via Zoom. For people who cannot access our services due to location and mobility issues or debilitating anxiety we are offering therapy and skills training via video conferencing.
Not at all. We don't view any diagnosis as the ultimate statement on who people are as individuals but a signpost in how they can be supported to thrive in all areas of their life. While some people can find the diagnosis a helpful starting point, it is important to recognise that it only describes the problems rather than asking what is going on underneath.
The skills that are taught on our programmes can be of help if intense emotions, unmanageable distress, problematic behaviours and unstable relationships interfere with your ability to be an effective human being whether you have received a diagnosis or not. The skills will assist you in coping effectively with extreme emotional sensitivity, mood swings, problematic urges, ADHD, anger, depression, anxiety, intense relationships, impulsivity, and ultimately in building a "life worth living".
DBT skills classes can also be of help if you simply want to increase your emotional literacy and understand how and why emotions drive you to behave in particular ways and how to be more effective in your relationships.
The purpose of the initial assessment, which takes around 50 minutes, is to begin formulating your difficulties. This session focuses specifically on life-long patterns of dysregulation in emotion and behaviour and relational difficulties. During the assessment session(s) we will ask you specific questions relating to various aspects of your personality and functioning to determine how our service can meet your needs. It’s also an opportunity for you to outline the nature of your issue(s) and to see if you relate to the therapeutic models we offer.
Following the assessment session, you will be offered a spot in one of our groups and three one-to-one orientation sessions during which:
- you will learn about the biosocial model of emotional dysregulation and borderline personality (DBT) or the mentalization model of attachment and borderline personality (MBT) and how they relate to your challenges,
- you will learn some DBT tools, such as chain analysis, that you will continue building on whilst in the group (DBT),
- you will be supported in coming up with a crisis plan,
- you will be made aware of the expectations of the programme of your choice,
- you will be supported in identifying your goals for therapy and addressing motivation and commitment (if relevant).
In some circumstances we may feel that a further assessment session is necessary or we may refer you to an alternative service that could provide more suitable support.
The Dialectical Behaviour Therapy programme requires a minimum commitment to 34 weeks after the assessment process. The recommended length of this intensive treatment is at least one year. It is possible to extend treatment when needed or to repeat some of the skills classes to solidify progress and skills acquisition.
The Mentalization-Based Treatment requires a minimum commitment to 12 months. However, it is possible to start spacing out individual sessions after the first four months of treatment. This is subject to progress and review by the team.
The length of any other form of therapy will be agreed with the assessing therapist and reviewed on a regular basis.
Individual sessions last 50 minutes. Groups last either 90 minutes or 2 hours. Couple therapy sessions can be extended to 75 minutes.
- Individuals who commit to the comprehensive DBT programme are given priority to join one of the 2-hour groups. These groups have two facilitators during each session, one leads the session and the other takes on the role of an observer and is available to offer skills coaching to participants during the group if needed. Clients with significant behavioural dysregulation which might interfere with their participation are required to join the 2-hour group.
- The 90-minute groups are run by one skills facilitator at a time and are open to individuals with emotion regulation difficulties, with or without a formal diagnosis. Clients can attend the 90-minute groups whether they are on the full DBT programme or attend the skills group on a modular basis.
There are up to ten participants in the 90-minute DBT groups, up to twelve in the 2-hour groups and up to nine participants in the MBT group.
Yes, you can although we do encourage all clients to attend a few pre-group sessions especially if you don't have a therapist who is familiar with DBT. The skills classes can complement the therapy you receive outside of our team. They are also suitable for those who already completed individual therapy and now want to focus on acquiring new skills. The skills classes can also be suitable for those who are engaging in the stabilisation and safety stage of trauma-focused therapy. In some circumstances we might conclude that attending the skills classes without individual input is not indicated and will explain the reasons why.
Some of our therapists and skills trainers are registered providers for private insurance companies, i.e. CIGNA, AXA-PPP, BUPA, Vitality (formerly PruHealth), Aviva, Exeter Friendly and other smaller private insurance companies. Please check with your private or company health insurance that you are covered and provide your membership and authorisation codes. You will usually need a referral letter from your GP or a psychiatrist if you wish to claim under a private medical insurance policy.
We are experienced in working with people who have endured various challenges in life from anxiety, trauma and depression through to severe interpersonal problems, self-harm and other difficulties associated with personality and behaviour. These difficulties may show themselves as angry outbursts, high stress, anxiety attacks, self-injury, suicide attempts and difficulties with eating, self-medicating or misusing substances. We have specialist skills in delivering evidence-based psychological therapies recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for Borderline Personality Disorder, also known as Emotionally Unstable or Emotion Regulation Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and in delivering Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) to clients with a history of repeated bouts of depression.
No, we are not. We operate on an appointment basis, however, we are committed to supporting individuals whose primary motivation is to manage their intense emotions and problematic behaviours and urges. Many of our clients who engage in treatment notice that the frequency of their crises decreases over time. If you are in crisis right now, you can access more relevant support through statutory services, your GP, Accident and Emergency Department or by calling 999.
We have a psychiatrist affiliated with our team who is available for psychiatric assessment or medical reviews. Although the reviews are optional clients can benefit from them before they begin the intensive programme in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy or Mentalisation Based Treatment especially if they would like to monitor or adjust their medications or confirm the diagnosis. Please get in touch with us at contact@mind-reframed.com if you'd like to arrange a psychiatric review.
Yes, our service is confidential. Keeping trust and respecting our clients autonomy are fundamental to therapeutic relationship. If a situation arises where it is legally or ethically necessary to breach confidentiality we would endeavour to discuss this with you first.
For example, if someone communicates to their therapist that they are going to harm themselves or another person, we are obliged to report this or take action on the situation. We will make every effort to discuss the circumstances with the client first and see how we could problem-solve the situation collaboratively. In some circumstances we will inform your GP, clinical team or other relevant health professionals about your involvement with our respective teams and will let you know about it beforehand.
As both DBT and MBT are team-based treatments, clinicians discuss their clients' progress and seek the team's support to continue offering effective treatment as part of the weekly team consultation. No information will be shared outside of the consultation team, except where there are concerns around safety or court order.
We recognise that for some clients it may be daunting to take the first step. You're welcome to make a referral on their behalf, however, it is important that they are copied in the email correspondence. We will respond by providing the relevant information about what's on offer and which therapists have availability for assessment.
Yes, we are fully insured. Also, each of our therapists operate on a self-employed basis and they have professional liability insurance.
Yes, we are members of different professional bodies such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), Society for Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (SfDBT), British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) or Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Their ethical frameworks govern our work.
Individual therapists' cancellation policies may vary slightly and they are normally discussed during one of the initial sessions. Generally, however, our policy for clients on the DBT and MBT programmes allows for 6 holiday absences a year and we request at least two weeks’ notice ahead of any scheduled holidays. Clients who engage in one-to-one or couple therapy with one of our associate therapists will receive a contract from them outlining their own cancellation policy.
Please email your complaint to contact@mind-reframed.com and outline the nature of the problem, give as much information as possible and tell us what you want to happen. Your complaint will be acknowledged within not more than 3 working days. We will look into it shortly afterwards. The process will entail discussing your concerns in the respective DBT or MBT team meeting to gather all relevant information and ensure that various angles of the situation are considered and that the skills and/or theories that underpin our work are utilised in the response. We aim to conclude the process and get back to you within 30 days. If for any reason that is not possible we will let you know. If your complaint relates to one of the therapists, they will be supported by the consultation team in considering various angles of the situation before responding to you.
Please note that Mind-Reframed Limited acts as an agent connecting clients with therapists who are suitably qualified and solely responsible for their clinical work. We welcome feedback on your therapy experience and want to hear any concerns as client safety and clinical competence are of great importance to us. However, any legal disputes or formal complaints are to be raised with the clinician involved or their professional registration bodies.