Constructivism, Agency and Change: A Response to Moggia (2026)

Moggia offers a thoughtful commentary on our article and his reflections regarding future directions for Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy (MIT) to bridge constructivist traditions with manualized clinical practice and empirical research. Here we respond to two issues raised: (i) the role of social and cultural contexts in psychotherapy; and (ii) the need to preserve a clear focus on the mechanisms through which psychological change occurs. We would contend that MIT is inherently sensitive to the interpersonal and social origins of suffering, whilst maintaining a primary clinical focus on working with internalized patterns of meaning-making. This is linked to developing one’s understanding of self and others, using autobiographical memories to predict future scenarios and promoting more adaptive goal-driven behaviors.