This book is the treatment manual of the Metacognitive Interpersonal Group Therapy (MIT-G) for Personality Disorders, an empirically validated, manualized protocol for treating personality disorders supported not only by scientific evidence but also by various experiences in public mental health services across different countries. The manual clearly shows how to guide patients to interpret interpersonal relationships in different ways, enabling them to acquire more functional behaviors in social situations through improved metacognitive functioning.

This manual describes a brief group treatment model (16 sessions) based on the principles of Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy (MIT), an explanatory model of personality disorders and their treatment that is widely used and validated in its effectiveness. As a transdiagnostic treatment model, it addresses various personality disorders that present emotional and behavioral inhibition, and it can also be used with patients with emotional dysregulation. 

The reader will be guided through the treatment with clinical examples of individual moments during the sessions and will learn how to articulate the different stages of the intervention, which involves both a psychoeducational and experiential approach using role play.

As it is a brief and transdiagnostic model, MIT-G can be used in both private and public mental health services. Due to its characteristics and its application to patients with different clinical symptoms (comorbidity) and severe dysfunctionality, the model can be used alongside other treatments, including individual psychotherapy and drug therapy.

Raffaele Popolo, psychiatrist and psychotherapist, is director of the UOC SM District 1 of the Department of Mental Health ASL Roma 1. He is co-founder of the Center for Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy in Rome. He is the author of numerous books on psychotherapy for severe mental disorders and personality disorders and of over 100 scientific publications in international journals, current Scopus H=32. He is a supervisor and trainer of Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy, a therapy model he developed with colleagues. He has developed a group treatment for personality disorders (MIT-G), supported by studies conducted in Italy, Spain, and Norway.

Giancarlo Dimaggio, psychiatrist and psychotherapist. Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Clinical Psychology: In-Session, senior associate editor of the Journal of Psychotherapy Integration and incoming editor of the Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. Author of numerous books on psychotherapy (and related disciplines) in Italian, English, Spanish and Portuguese. Among these the most recent: “Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy: Body, imagination and change”. Author of 270 scientific publications in international journals, current Scopus H=59. The model that he developed with colleagues, Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy, has gained empirical support in studies conducted in Italy, Spain, Denmark, Norway and Australia.

Paolo Ottavi, Clinical Psychologist, CBT psychotherapist, and mindfulness instructor. Supervisor and MIT trainer at the Center for Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy in Rome. He specializes in severe mental disorders and Personality Disorders. He has published numerous contributions in international books and journals. He developed a group treatment for schizophrenia (MOSST) and a mindfulness-based treatment for personality disorders (MIMBT). Along with R. Popolo and G. Dimaggio, he is the co-author of the book "Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy: Body, Imagery and Change" (Routledge, 2020), and "Experiential Techniques in Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy with Personality Disorders: The Therapeutic Relationship" (Taylor & Francis, 2025).