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It helped when people challenged my feelings

Posted By RET

"It helped when people challenged my feelings"

About: Community Forensic Services / Nottinghamshire MBT Service

(as a service user),

I have recently completed a year of MBT therapy at the Mandala Centre.  I found the routine of weekly sessions helpful as well as the process of working through and understanding feelings and emotions.  I found thinking about possible triggers and how to manage our own minds useful.  I think it really helped when people challenged my feelings and opinions in the sessions.

The people around me have seen an improvement since accessing the treatment and I’ve tried to get close relationships to also be involved which has had a positive impact on my life.

I think the treatment needs to be a little longer. I felt I wasn’t quite ready to finish and in 6 more months I would have been more equipped to mentalize.   I also think the service needs to offer other therapy too. When certain areas are highlighted, e.g. abuse, there should be targeted therapy offered, if the therapist feels it would be beneficial.

I found that the facilitators were brilliant, couldn’t fault them.

The small group sizes are vital. I found that too many participants just means there’s not enough time for everyone every week to talk in depth. This leaves us feeling overlooked.

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Responses

Response from Louisa Hagan, Service Manager, Community Forensic Services, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 4 years ago
Louisa Hagan
Service Manager, Community Forensic Services,
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 04/10/2019 at 17:05
Published on Care Opinion at 17:05

Thank you for this feedback, I am really impressed with how you have used the therapy in your day to day life and you can see the changes this has brought.

I am pleased that you found the sessions challenging in the sense that it allowed you to consider alternatives, allowing you to perhaps have a greater flexibility in your own thinking/sense of others.

I hear what you have said about the length of treatment and whilst we have no current plans to increase the length of the group sessions we are always reviewing our treatment/processes and your feedback will be part of future discussions. I have also paid attention to what you have said about the smaller group numbers and we are clear about maximum group sizes and again this is regularly considered when thinking about each group and the make up of these individually, allowing us a little more flexibility where needed/necessary.

I will ensure the facilitator's get this feedback too; it seems as though you have had a good experience of this relationship and I hope this is reflective of a helpful and collaborative process.

With very best wishes, Louisa

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Response from Peter Wright, Executive Director, Forensic Services, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 4 years ago
Peter Wright
Executive Director, Forensic Services,
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 04/10/2019 at 17:56
Published on Care Opinion at 17:56

Thank you for this posting and also for the suggestions that Louisa has commented on.

I've read what you said a number of times because I was struck by how serious these issues are and how challenging being in a group can be. This is big stuff, isn't it? Although I take your point about having longer treatment, your words suggest that you do really own the learning from the course. I hope very much that you will now go from strength to strength.

With best wishes.

Peter

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