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Mentalization-Based Treatment for Families (MBT-F)

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to Mentalization-Based Treatment for Families (MBT-F), providing a hands-on exploration of the model's essential elements.

About this training 

This training introduces Mentalization-Based Treatment for Families (MBT-F) with a hands-on approach to its essential elements. The training emphasises applying the core mentalizing stance in working with families, covers assessment techniques like developing a mentalizing profile, and provides opportunities to hone specific skills and techniques for working with families from a mentalizing perspective.  

MBT-F helps families communicate better by using mentalizing ideas, reducing misunderstandings, and preventing stress and controlling behaviours. MBT-F combines psychodynamic principles, systemic theory, CBT practices, and a social ecological framework to understand and work with families. It's a versatile and time-limited approach designed for clinical settings, addressing various family challenges such as emotional and behavioural issues, anxiety, depression, relational difficulties, and family conflict.  

Aims of this training  

  • To learn about the key features of MBT-F including adaptations to online and remote therapy. 

  • To develop practitioner skills in assessment and developing a mentalizing family profile supporting case formulation. 

  • To promote practitioner abilities in employing a mentalizing stance in work with families. 

  • To develop practical skills in employing MBT-F techniques for working with families including using games and activities to promote mentalizing between family members, techniques to disrupt non-mentalizing patterns of relating and interventions to help families identify unhelpful ways of interacting. 

Who is this training for? 

This training is suitable for professionals working in the field of child and family mental health.  Ideally, applicants should have a mental health qualification, for example, child psychotherapy, psychology, psychotherapy, arts therapies, family therapy, counselling, psychiatry, mental health nursing, social work and have experience of working therapeutically with children and families. The course assumes prior experience of therapeutic work with children.   

If you are unsure if this training is right for you contact the training team on mbtcyp@annafreud.org who will discuss your suitability with the course training tutors.  

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