Course Details

The concept of mentalizing, which has garnered significant interest over the past two decades, involves the ability to interpret and understand one's own and others' behavior by recognizing intentional mental states such as needs, desires, feelings, beliefs, and goals. Mentalizing can be divided into explicit processes, which are effortful and reflective, and implicit processes, which are automatic and rapid. The ability to mentalize is thought to develop within the first few years of life in a secure child-caregiver attachment context. Dysfunction in mentalizing is linked to psychological disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder. Mentalization-based treatment, initially developed for borderline personality disorder, has been extended to other areas and aims to improve mentalizing abilities through specific therapeutic interventions.

  • Understand the concept of mentalizing and its significance in interpreting behavior.

  • Differentiate between implicit and explicit mentalizing processes.

  • Recognize the developmental milestones and attachment contexts that facilitate the ability to mentalize.

  • Identify the impact of trauma and poor attachment on mentalizing abilities.

  • Explain the principles and applications of mentalization-based treatment in psychotherapy.

Course curriculum

    1. Stop, Rewind, Explore: The Neuroscience of Mentalizing by Felicity Wallwork and Pieter Rossouw

    2. Mentalizing Quiz

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