anthony bateman what is mentalization based treatment

Professor Anthony Bateman

gives White Swan Foundation an exclusive interview about mentalization-based treatment (MBT) in ‘Mentalization-based treatment with Professor Anthony Bateman and Dr Ashlesha Bagadia’ - a weekly video column. MBT is a form of psychotherapy that was developed by UK-based psychoanalysts Bateman and Peter Fonagy.

Full Answer

What is mentalization-based treatment (MBT)?

Mentalization-based treatment (MBT)-making mentalizing a core focus of therapy-was initially developed for the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in routine clinical services delivered in group and individual modalities.

What is mentalization-based treatment for borderline personality disorder?

Mentalization-based treatment (MBT)—making mentalizing a core focus of therapy—was initially developed for the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in routine clinical services delivered in group and individual modalities.

What is the theory of mentalisation?

COMMON LANGUAGE Introduction to theory of mentalisation nThe normal ability to ascribe intentions and meaning to human behaviour nIdeas that shape interpersonal behaviour nMake reference to emotions, feelings, thoughts, intentions, desires nShapes our understanding of others and ourselves

What is the meaning of better mentalizing?

Mentalization, or better mentalizing, is the process by which we make sense of each other and ourselves, implicitly and explicitly, in terms of subjective states and mental processes. It is a profoundly social construct in the sense that we are attentive to the mental states of those we are with, physically or psychologically.

How does Mentalization based therapy work?

MBT focuses on the patient's present, rather than past, experiences. The therapy does not aim to provide the patient with new insight. Instead, MBT's primary goal is to enhance a person's ability to reflect on their own thoughts, feelings, and behavior, as well as those of others.

Is Mentalization based therapy evidence based?

Conclusions: Mentalization-based treatment is a potentially effective method across a wide range of clinical presentations but further research should focus on increasing the quality and the quantity of the MBT evidence outside the treatment of BPD.

When was Mentalization based treatment developed?

The aim of this paper is to introduce a therapeutic model little known in France: the mentalization based therapy (MBT) developed in 2004 by Bateman and Fonagy.

Is MBT therapy good?

Clinical trials have shown that mentalization-based therapy is an effective treatment for borderline personality disorder, with symptom improvement sustained years after the end of treatment.

Is Mentalization-based therapy effective?

Results. Mentalization‐based therapy was found to achieve either superior or equal reductions in psychiatric symptoms when compared with other treatments (supportive group therapy, treatment as usual/standard psychiatric care, structured clinical management, and specialized clinical management).

Is Mentalization-based therapy psychodynamic?

Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT) is a type of psychodynamic therapy designed to treat borderline personality. The process of mentalizing, or the capacity to understand how actions are influenced by mental states, is the focus of MBT.

Is MBT a form of CBT?

Mentalization-based treatment (MBT) is an integrative form of psychotherapy, bringing together aspects of psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, systemic and ecological approaches.

What is the difference between MBT and DBT?

While DBT has the most empirical support, MBT has a small but significant evidence base. Dialectical behavior therapy synthesizes behaviorism, mindfulness, and dialectics, while MBT is conceptually anchored in psychoanalysis, attachment theory, cognitive neuroscience, and developmental psychopathology.

How long does MBT take?

MBT is a structured programme of therapy that starts with an educational group for 12 weeks where you learn more about mentalization, attachment and personality disorder. This is then followed by 18 months of weekly therapy that takes place both as one-to-one and in a group.

Is MBT only for BPD?

MBT is an integrative treatment approach for borderline and other severe personality disorders. It combines ideas from both psychoanalysis and modern research and is based on the unique human capacity to mentalize, or understand mental states underlying one's own actions as well as those of others.

How can I increase my mentalization?

There are numerous specific techniques that we would expect to promote mentalising in interpersonal psychotherapy, such as the encouragement of affect to help patients understand, regulate and express their feelings; the extensive use of clarification of interpersonal experience, which in turn often includes ...