This book provides inspiration for using mentalization when working with vulnerable children, adolescents, and their families. It includes the basic models of mentalization and provides ways to support the neglected and traumatised to find a better understanding of themselves and their struggles.

Mentalization with Neglected and Traumatized Children provides a comprehensive walkthrough of the impact on child development as a result of neglect and trauma, and how theories of mentalization can help. First providing a thorough overview of the concept of mentalization, Janne Oestergaard Hagelquist shows how one can have productive and mentalizing interactions with neglected and traumatized children and adolescents, as well as how to apply the more current knowledge about mentalization and trauma in the treatment of these children. This book provides specific educational tools and pedagogical models aimed at supporting the daily work of a professional working with children, adolescents, or families. Concepts and tools of mentalization are presented in a reader-friendly and easy-to-use way and are supported by case studies and clinical vignettes throughout. The book is essential reading for professionals working with neglected and traumatized children, such as psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, social workers, pedagogues, teachers, and foster carers, as well as those interested in mentalization, trauma, and child development.

What is 'mentalization'? How can this concept be applied to clinical work with children, young people and families? What will help therapists working with children and families to 'keep the mind in mind'? Why does it matter if a parent can 'see themselves from the outside, and their child from the inside'? Minding the Child considers the implications of the concept of mentalization for a range of therapeutic interventions with children and families. Mentalization, and the empirical research which has supported it, now plays a significant role in a range of psychotherapies for adults. In this book we see how these rich ideas about the development of the self and interpersonal relatedness can help to foster the emotional well-being of children and young people in clinical practice and a range of other settings. With contributions from a range of international experts, the three main sections of the book explore: • the concept of mentalization from a theoretical and research perspective • the value of mentalization-based interventions within child mental health services • the application of mentalizing ideas to work in community settings. Minding the Child will be of particular interest to clinicians and those working therapeutically with children and families, but it will also be of interest to academics and students interested in child and adolescent mental health, developmental psychology and the study of social cognition.

Examining clinical practice with families through a mentalizing lens, this innovative book is filled with practical therapeutic strategies and in-depth case illustrations. The expert authors focus on ways to help parents, children, and adolescents to overcome blocks in how they relate to one another by gaining a deeper understanding of--and openness to--each other's experiences and points of view. The volume draws on the empirically supported mentalization-based treatment (MBT) model and interweaves it with systemic concepts and interventions. It includes guidance for setting up sessions and engaging clients; addressing emotional and behavioral difficulties that frequently lead families to seek treatment; and implementing playful activities, exercises, and games that equip family members to change problematic relationship patterns.

Have you ever wondered what’s going on in your child’s mind? This engaging book shows how reflective parenting can help you understand your children, manage their behaviour and build your relationship and connection with them. It is filled with practical advice showing how recent developments in mentalization, attachment and neuroscience have transformed our understanding of the parent-child relationship and can bring meaningful change to your own family relationships. Alistair Cooper and Sheila Redfern show you how to make a positive impact on your relationship with your child, starting from the development of the baby’s first relationship with you as parents, to how you can be more reflective in relationships with toddlers, children and young people. Using everyday examples, the authors provide you with practical strategies to develop a more reflective style of parenting and how to use this approach in everyday interactions to help your child achieve their full potential in their development; cognitively, emotionally and behaviourally. Reflective Parenting is an informative and enriching read for parents, written to help parents form a better relationship with their children. It is also an essential resource for clinicians working with children, young people and families to support them in managing the dynamics of the child-parent relationship. This is a book that every parent needs to read.

Approaches to Psychic Trauma: Theory and Practice covers the many developments in the relatively new field of trauma therapy. It examines the nature of the wide variety of treatments available for traumatized people, describing elements they have in common and those that are specific to each treatment. Originating with the editor’s clinical experience working with patients from the former German Democratic Republic, contributors then discuss alternative therapies including ego psychology, self psychology, object-relations theory, attachment theory, psychoanalysis, and art therapies. Case studies further illustrate the application and practice. Approaches to Psychic Trauma presents a diversity of theories and tools centering on trauma and history, and through the microcosm of individual personalities one may have a close-up view of how historical events, as well as personal narratives and reactions to them, consciously and unconsciously affect the individual.

New in paperback. This book is the first comprehensive clinical introduction to using Mentalization-based treatment (MBT) with children, 5-12 years old.

Winner of the 2003 Gradiva Award and the 2003 Goethe Award for Psychoanalytic Scholarship Arguing for the importance of attachment and emotionality in the developing human consciousness, four prominent analysts explore and refine the concepts of mentalization and affect regulation. Their bold, energetic, and encouraging vision for psychoanalytic treatment combines elements of developmental psychology, attachment theory, and psychoanalytic technique. Drawing extensively on case studies and recent analytic literature to illustrate their ideas, Fonagy, Gergely, Jurist, and Target offer models of psychotherapy practice that can enable the gradual development of mentalization and affect regulation even in patients with long histories of violence or neglect.

Borderline Personality disorder is a severe personality dysfunction characterized by behavioural features such as impulsivity, identity disturbance, suicidal behaviour, emptiness, and intense and unstable relationships. Approximately 2% of the population are thought to meet the criteria for BPD. The authors of this volume - Anthony Bateman and Peter Fonagy - have developed a psychoanalytically oriented treatment to BPD known as mentalization treatment. With randomised controlled trialshaving shown this method to be effective, this book presents the first account of mentalization treatment for BPD. The first section gives an overview of BPD, including discussion of nosology, epidemiology, natural history, and psychosocial aetiology. It additionally summarises the present state of our research knowledge about effective psychotherapeutic treatments and use of medication. The second section outlines the authors' theoretical approach and contrasts it with other well known methods, including DBT, CAT, and CBT. In the extensive final section, the authors outline their clinical approach starting with how treatment is organised. A detailed account of the transferable features of the model is provided along with the main strategies and techniques of treatment. Numerous clinical examples are given to illustrate the core techniques and detailed information provided about how to apply aspects of the mentalization based treatment approach in everyday practice. Aimedat mental health professionals, along with counsellors, psychotherapists, and psychoanalysts, the book will be a valuable tool, providing an effective means of treating those suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder.

The essence of "plain old therapy," according to Jon G. Allen, is a mindful relationship between the patient and a trusted clinician who recognizes and understands the patient's trauma and connects with the nature and magnitude of his or her suffering. In Restoring Mentalizing in Attachment Relationships: Treating Trauma With Plain Old Therapy, Allen, a clinical psychologist with widely respected expertise in trauma, makes a research-based case for the virtues of the healing relationship created and nurtured through traditional psychotherapy. Though in recent years therapy has become just one of many treatment options for posttraumatic stress disorder and other trauma-related illnesses, the author argues that it remains the best. The book provides a conceptual framework for treating trauma patients and illuminates relationship factors that are empirically associated with positive outcomes. Patients who have suffered broken and dysfunctional attachments will benefit from its emphasis on trust, compassion, and true connection. Mental health clinicians of diverse theoretical orientations -- be they psychiatrists, psychologists, or social workers, in training or practice -- will benefit from its emphasis on what works, as will their patients.