What is Meta-Cognitive Therapy?
Meta-Cognitive Therapy, usually shortened to MCT, is an evidence-based therapy developed by psychologist Adrian Wells. Meta-cognition simply means thinking about thinking, and that is the key to how MCT works. It is a relatively recent approach with a growing and impressive evidence base.
Most therapies focus on the content of our thoughts, what we worry about, or the specific beliefs behind our distress. MCT takes a different angle. It focuses on the process, on how we respond to our thoughts, and in particular on the habits of prolonged worrying and rumination, and of fixating our attention on threat. According to MCT, it is not the odd negative thought that causes lasting distress, but getting stuck in these mental habits. Change the habits, and the distress eases.
At Integro Health, MCT is delivered by registered therapists in a warm, non-judgemental environment in South West WA, in person or online.
How MCT works
Everyone has passing negative thoughts. What makes the difference, according to MCT, is what we do next. Some people get pulled into long chains of worry or rumination, endlessly analysing, or keep scanning for danger. This pattern of overthinking, which MCT calls the cognitive attentional syndrome, is what keeps anxiety and depression going.
Often, this happens because of beliefs we hold about thinking itself. We may believe that worrying helps us cope or stay safe, or that our worrying is uncontrollable. MCT helps you discover, through simple experiments, that these beliefs are not true: that you can choose whether to engage with a worry, and that letting thoughts come and go, without getting entangled, actually works better. You learn to step back from your thoughts and take control of your attention.
The result, for many people, is a striking sense of freedom, spending far less time trapped in their own heads.
How MCT works in practice
MCT is a structured, relatively brief therapy. Rather than analysing your worries in detail, it helps you change your whole relationship with worrying, using clear techniques.
Understanding the pattern
Together, we look at how worry, rumination, and threat-focused attention are keeping your difficulties going, and at the beliefs about thinking that drive them. This is often an eye-opening first step.
Discovering you have a choice
Through simple experiments, you discover that you do not have to engage with every worry, and that worrying is more controllable than it feels. This directly challenges the belief that you cannot stop.
Taking control of attention
You learn practical techniques to unhook your attention from threat and worry, and to let thoughts pass without getting caught up in them, freeing up your mind.
Changing beliefs about worry
As the experiments build up, the underlying beliefs, that worrying is helpful or uncontrollable, begin to shift, and the overthinking habit loses its grip.
Making it last
We help you consolidate these new habits so they hold, leaving you far less prone to getting stuck in worry and rumination in future.
Meet our practitioners
At Integro Health, MCT is delivered by registered clinicians and qualified therapists with genuine warmth and years of experience. Take a moment to read about our practitioners and find the right fit for you.
Dr Paul King
General Practitioner
MBBS Bachelor of Medicine/ Bachelor of Surgery
FRACGP Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Jools Fordyce
Social Worker & Family Therapist
Bachelor (Hons) – Applied Social Science with Diploma in Social Work
Postgraduate Diploma in Family and Relationship Therapy
Brooke Eden
Psychologist
Bachelor of Psychology
Graduate Diploma of Education
Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.
Nicholas Kerr
Psychologist
Masters of Psychology (Organisational)
Bachelor of Arts
Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.
Carli King
Office Administrator
As Practice Manager, Carli keeps the daily operations of Integro Health running smoothly, ensuring our clients always receive the highest standard of care.
What MCT can help with
Anxiety
Practical, evidence-based help for worry, racing thoughts, and constant unease, so you can feel safe in your own life again.…
Anxiety →
Depression
Warm, judgement-free support for depression and persistent low mood, helping you find your way back toward feeling like yourself. In…
Depression →
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Break the OCD cycle with proven approaches like exposure and response prevention, at a pace you can manage. In Bunbury…
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder →
Stress
Support to understand what is driving chronic stress and build a more sustainable way to live, before it tips into…
Stress →
Panic
Take the fear out of panic attacks by understanding what is really happening in your body. Effective, evidence-based support in…
Panic →
Low Self-Esteem
Build a steadier, kinder relationship with yourself and quieten a harsh inner critic. Psychological support in Bunbury and online across…
Low Self-Esteem →Why Integro Health
Registered, experienced clinicians
Your therapy is delivered by registered clinicians and qualified therapists trained in the approach. Experience and genuine care come as standard.
A whole-person approach
We look at every part of you, your thoughts, feelings, relationships, and circumstances, because difficulties rarely sit in just one area of life.
The right approach for you
We use MCT where it genuinely fits, and draw on other evidence-based approaches when they would help, rather than forcing a one-size formula.
In Bunbury and online
See us in person at our Eaton clinic near Bunbury, or by secure telehealth anywhere in South West WA and beyond. The choice is yours.
Is MCT effective? The evidence
Although newer than some therapies, MCT has built an impressive evidence base. A growing number of studies show it to be highly effective for anxiety and depression, with some research suggesting outcomes at least as good as, and in some cases better than, more established approaches for these conditions.
One reason for this is that MCT targets a common engine behind many difficulties, the habit of getting stuck in worry and rumination, rather than tackling each worry one by one. By addressing that underlying process, its benefits can be broad and lasting.
As with any therapy, MCT does not suit everyone or guarantee a particular result, and it works best when you are willing to try its experiments with an open mind. It is a genuinely exciting approach, and where a different therapy would serve you better, we will say so.
What to expect in MCT
MCT may surprise you, because it spends very little time exploring the content of your worries. Your therapist will be far more interested in how you respond to your thoughts than in the details of what you are worried about, which many people find a relief.
Sessions are structured and often involve small experiments, done together and between sessions, that gently test your beliefs about worrying and build new mental habits. It is practical, focused, and usually relatively brief. Sessions run for around 50 minutes.
You can read more about what to expect on our first session page.
Is MCT right for you?
MCT may be a great fit if you feel trapped in worry, overthinking, or rumination, if you spend too much of your life in your own head, or if you have tried analysing your worries in the past and found it did not help, or even made things worse. It is particularly powerful for generalised worry, anxiety, and low mood driven by rumination.
MCT is one of several approaches we offer. For some difficulties, or for some people, a different approach such as CBT, ACT, or a more exploratory therapy fits better. If you are not sure what would suit you, reaching out is a good first step, and we can help you decide together.
Your questions answered
Both are structured therapies, but they focus on different things. CBT usually works on the content of thoughts, examining and challenging specific worries or beliefs. MCT largely ignores the content and instead targets the process, the habits of worry and rumination and the beliefs about thinking that drive them. Many people find MCT refreshing because it does not require going over every worry.
Not quite. MCT is not about suppressing thoughts or never reflecting. It is about breaking the habit of getting stuck in endless, unhelpful worry and rumination, and regaining the ability to choose when and how you engage with a concern. You end up thinking more clearly and freely, not less.
MCT provided by a registered psychologist can attract a Medicare rebate if you have a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, which covers up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year. We are happy to explain what applies to you and talk through the options and costs before you begin.
MCT is often relatively brief. Many people see meaningful change within a modest number of sessions, because it targets the underlying habit rather than each worry in turn. This varies with the person and the difficulty, and we agree a plan with you and review progress as we go.
It can sound simple, but MCT is backed by a strong and growing body of research showing it to be highly effective for anxiety and depression. The ideas are elegant rather than simplistic, and applying them takes skill and practice. Many people are surprised by how much difference it makes.
Yes. We offer sessions by secure telehealth across South West WA and Australia-wide, as well as in person at our Eaton clinic near Bunbury. For most people online sessions are just as effective, and they are especially helpful if you are in a regional area or short on time. You can read more on our online therapy page.
No referral is needed to book a session. You can contact us directly to arrange a first appointment. If you would like to access a Medicare rebate through a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you will need a GP referral first, and we can guide you through that.
MCT is especially effective for difficulties driven by worry and overthinking, including anxiety, depression, OCD, and stress. If you are not sure whether it fits your situation, we are happy to advise.
Medically reviewed by
General Practitioner
The clinical information on this page has been reviewed for accuracy by Dr Paul King, General Practitioner at Integro Health. It is general information, and not a substitute for personal medical or psychological advice.
