Metacognitive Therapy (MCT): Transdiagnostic Approach to Improve Cognitive Functioning, Problem-Solving, and Emotional Well-Being

Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) is a cognitive-behavioral approach that originated in the early 1990s, which was created in the UK by psychologist and researcher Adrian Wells. The main difference between this model and traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the focus of the intervention. The metacognitive approach is aimed at regulating attention directed at cognitive processes. In addition, this paradigm proposes an increase in attentional flexibility, that is, it changes the way people pay attention to thoughts from the first moment they become present in consciousness. On the other hand, in the subsequent moments, the thoughts may take the form of worry, rumination, threat monitoring, obsessive thoughts, or other cognitive processes that are at the base of various mental disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This chapter aims to theoretically present Metacognitive Therapy, as well as discuss its applications and techniques.