MBT Skills for Forensic Mental Health Professionals

🎯 What is Mentalizing?

Mentalizing refers to our ability to attend to mental states in ourselves and in others as we attempt to understand our own actions and those of others on the basis of intentional mental states. More simply, mentalizing describes our capacity to hold our own and others’ minds in mind.

🧩 Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT)

Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT) suggests that mentalization breaks down in Borderline and Antisocial personality disorders, amongst other psychiatric conditions. This can lead to patients misinterpreting others’ motives, for example, feeling shamed by someone who only accidentally spills their drink. Such misunderstandings within interpersonal relationships combined with intense emotional arousal have been shown to be common precursors to violence and other aggressive, or inappropriate, behaviours. MBT’s core focus for therapeutic intervention is the very human activity of mentalizing.

By the end of this one-day workshop, participants will be:

· Equipped with fundamental knowledge of both the theory and practice of MBT, which they will be able to put to immediate use in their current practice

· Able to start employing the MBT model usefully while working in forensic settings and in joint working with colleagues

This course will not train people to become MBT therapists, but is the first step on the MBT training track.

The course facilitators are Dr Jon Patrick, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist – The State Hospital and Dr Allan Thomson, Consultant Clinical Psychologist – NHS Ayrshire & Arran.

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Host or Publisher Forensic Network & SoFMH