Pioneering research has been carried out over the last decade on mentalization and the promotion of mentalizing capacity - the ability to interpret the behavior of oneself and others as based on intentional mental states, such as needs, desires, feelings, and beliefs.

Mentalizing entails attending to mental states in oneself and others – in brief, holding mind in mind. It is crucial to interpersonal relationships as well as self-awareness and self-regulation, and all psychotherapeutic approaches depend on mentalizing capacity.

In this comprehensive volume, Jon Allen and Peter Fonagy bring together an international group of experts to clarify the concept of mentalization, review current research and knowledge, and explore its diverse clinical applications. Particular attention is devoted to impaired mentalizing in childhood disorders as well as borderline personality disorder, and contributors relate mentalization-focused treatment to established treatments such as psychoanalysis, cognitive behavioural therapy, and dialectical behaviour therapy. Authors describe how to implement a focus on mentalizing in several applications, including parenting of high-risk infants, family therapy with children and adolescents, prevention of bullying in schools, specialized inpatient treatment, psychoeducational groups for patients and family members, and therapist training.

The Handbook of Mentalization-Based Treatment is a valuable resource for mental health practitioners from a variety of professional disciplines, including psychotherapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors, and nurses. It will also be of interest to academics engaged in research in the field of mentalization and attachment.

Contributors

Jon G. Allen, PhD, USA
Anthony W. Bateman, UK
Throstur Bjorgvinsson, USA
Efrain Bleiberg, USA
Susan Coates, USA
Pasco Fearon, UK
Peter Fonagy, UK
Glen O. Gabbard, USA
John Hart, USA
Jeremy Holmes, UK
G. Toby G. Haslam-Hopwood, USA
Lisa Lewis, USA
Melissa Martinez, USA
Linda C. Mayes, USA
Jacqueline C. McGregor, USA
Robert Michels, USA
Lisa A. Miller, USA
Richard L. Munich, USA
Lois S. Sadler PhD, USA
John Sargent, USA
Carla Sharp, USA
Arietta Slade, USA
April Stein, USA
Helen Stein, USA
Mary Target, UK
Stuart Twemlow, USA
Laurel L. Williams, USA

Pioneering research has been carried out over the last decade on mentalization and the promotion of mentalizing capacity - the ability to interpret the behavior of oneself and others as based on intentional mental states, such as needs, desires, feelings, and beliefs. This book is a consolidation of current knowledge and clinical applications, bringing together a group of international experts who have been on the ground floor of theory and research to clarify the concept, review pertinent neurobiological and psychosocial research, and explore its diverse clinical applications.

Four sections will cover Conceptual Foundations, Developmental Psychopathology, Intervention and Prevention. A biopsychosocial approach will be used, integrating new research in neuroimaging with psychodynamic and cognitive perspectives. Clinical issues covered will include parent–child interactions, personality disorders, traumatic brain injury, bullying and at-risk children.