Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children: A Time-Limited Approach

Written by an international team of clinician–researchers who are pioneering the MBT model with children, the authors begin by exploring the significance of mentalization and then devote the core chapters to the process of conducting short-term (9–12 sessions) MBT for children, including problem assessment and case formulation in terms of mentalizing techniques, the therapist’s stance, and treatment termination. The approach draws on traditional psychodynamic principles, but integrates them with findings from attachment theory, the empirical study of mentalization, and features of other evidence–based approaches.