FAMILY MEMBER AND CLIENT GUIDE TO
MERIT PSYCHOTHERAPY
A recovery-oriented psychotherapy for individuals living with schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses.
WHAT IS MERIT ?
MERIT (Metacognitive Reflection and Insight Therapy) is a psychotherapy method that aims to help people improve their sense of self and regain control of their lives. MERIT therapists use a flexible approach to personalize therapy for each person.
WHAT DOES MERIT PSYCHOTHERAPY INVOLVE?
MERIT therapy is collaborative; therapists want to get to know the person who has experienced psychosis. MERIT sessions focus on a shared understanding of life experiences so the person can decide how they want to move forward in their life.
For example, in a first session with a MERIT therapist, the therapist would introduce themselves and ask the client what they hope to gain from therapy or goals they might have. Often people beginning therapy aren’t sure what their goals are or how they would like to move forward, and that is OK. It might take several sessions of the therapist and client working closely together to decide on goals.
Next, the therapist and client may discuss past life experiences such as childhood friendships, family relationships, significant life events, and symptoms of psychosis, which often include confusing experiences the client may have had. Throughout this process, the therapist may offer their thoughts and suggest strategies for how the client might make sense of these experiences and how they might decide to manage difficult situations. The therapist may encourage the client to think about how these experiences and the effect they’ve had connect (or don’t) to the goals they are hoping to achieve.
The therapist partners with the client by thinking together about their life, discussing things that may have gone wrong as well as things that have gone well. For example, a therapist might help the client identify strategies to manage distress or alternative ways to think about things.
IS MERIT EFFECTIVE?
MERIT clinical trials show improvements in thinking, symptoms, and functioning after 6 months of treatment. Some clients find it beneficial to engage in treatment for longer than 6 months. Individual results may vary. Please see our list of published research articles to read more about clinical trials.
WHAT IS METACOGNITION?
A basic definition of metacognition is thinking about thinking or having a thought about a thought. More broadly, metacognition can include the processes people use to reflect on themselves and others, make sense of challenges, and decide how to respond to those challenges. For individuals with severe mental illness, strengthening metacognition is key to recovery and improved quality of life.
HOW IS MERIT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER THERAPY MODALITIES?
MERIT focuses on joint discussion of the client’s life and thinking together about ways to improve their life. This approach offers a flexible therapeutic environment where the client’s goals are most important. This is different than other types of therapy because MERIT therapists do not have a pre-determined agenda to offer the client. Instead, the therapist decides with the client what they would like to discuss.
HOW DOES MERIT SUPPORT RECOVERY?
MERIT therapists help individuals improve their understanding of themselves and what they want their lives to look like. This can help with identifying and accomplishing goals and moving forward with their lives.
Research has shown improvements in the following areas:
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Metacognitive functioning
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Positive and negative symptoms
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Insight
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Thinking more clearly about themselves and experiences across their life
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Agency
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Tolerating and managing distress
CAN MERIT HELP MY LOVED ONE WITH DELUSIONS AND HALLUCINATIONS?
MERIT studies show that after a course of MERIT treatment, symptoms like delusions and hallucinations can improve. Each person may respond to treatment differently, and individual results may vary. Importantly, MERIT can help people to live more full lives even when they continue to experience symptoms of psychosis.
HOW LONG DOES MERIT LAST?
The length of treatment depends on the client’s goals and wishes for therapy. Clinical trials are usually designed to be 6 months to see meaningful change.
HOW CAN I CONNECT MY LOVED ONE WITH A THERAPIST?
MERIT therapists practice in various settings around the world. Please see our therapist directory for a therapist near you.
WHAT OTHER MERIT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR FAMILY MEMBERS?
MERIT clinicians are available to provide a free, single-session consultation to family members through their independent private practices. These consultations are conducted solely by the individual clinicians and are not provided, supervised, or endorsed by the MERIT Institute. Participation in a consultation does not imply an endorsement or certification of the clinician by the MERIT Institute.