mentalization-based treatment

  Mentalization-Based Treatment, or MBT, is a type of therapy that helps people improve their understanding of themselves and other people, thereby improving their relationships.

“Mentalizing” is the process by which we figure out our own, and other people’s, internal worlds. By identifying thoughts, feelings, wishes, and motivations, and connecting them with the context of an interaction, we make sense of the world and our relationships.

Everyone can mentalize to some extent, and their ability to mentalize can change in different situations. When people are overwhelmed, they tend to lose their ability to mentalize effectively. They may misinterpret the other person’s actions, or see their own emotions as facts.

  Because people with BPD struggle with regulating their emotions, they are more likely to have difficulty mentalizing. In MBT, we see many of the symptoms of BPD as being connected to poor mentalizing, for example:

If someone loses their ability to understand themselves, they may temporarily experience dissociation. They may turn to self-injury because it is a way of reminding themselves they are “real” (although there are many potential reasons for self-injury).

If someone is unable to understand another person’s motivations, they may become paranoid and suspicious. They might not understand how their behavior is perceived by others, causing them to act in ways that damage relationships.

MBT includes a component where the fundamentals of mentalizing are taught in a structured way over 12 sessions; it also includes individual therapy where the client processes current events in their life through the mentalization lens – i.e. reviewing a recent conflict with a friend or an episode of self-harm by attempting to better understand the internal experiences of the people involved.

The goals of MBT are to help people fill in gaps in their mentalizing skills; improve existing mentalization ability; and make their mentalizing more resilient to emotional swings.

If you’re interested in learning more or beginning treatment, you can contact Catherine here.