Parental Embodied Mentalizing Assessment (PEMA)

Before starting this training, you must complete the self-guided online training “An Introduction to Mentalizing and Mentalization Based Treatments with Children, Young People and Families” (MBT CYP). You can book onto this self-guided online training here. 

You will then be given access to the MBT CYP training one month before the start date of your PEMA training. MBT CYP is a self-directed online training course and consists of a series of short videos, presentations and activities that span six hours and can be worked through at your own pace. It is essential that you complete this training to get the most out of the PEMA training you are scheduled to attend. If you require access to the training sooner than one month prior to the training start date, please let us know and we will be able to grant you access. 

Training resources will be made available via the Anna Freud Learning platform for a period of 3 months from the training date.

All teaching sessions will be recorded to allow delegates to revisit the content after the training. Access to recordings will be provided online only and recordings will not be available for download.

Recordings will remain accessible for a period of 3 months from the date they are made available, after which access will be removed.

After completing the online Introduction to MBT CYP training and the PEMA Intensive Training, you will have a sound understanding of mentalizing theory and its clinical application with parent-infant dyads.  

You will have developed a range of observational skills in identifying non-verbal risk and protective factors and non-verbal communication between parents and their infants. You will have started to practice how you can use PEMA clinically, using the MBT stance and therapeutic approach. To become certified in using PEMA for clinical or research purposes it is essential to complete inter-rater reliability. 

For participants wishing to use PEMA for research, and not clinical purposes, in order to receive PEMA Reliability Certification for Research Purposes, participants are required to complete the Reliability Test, which includes the additional coding of up to 5 practice and 10 standardised pre-coded videos of parent-infant interactions.

Those who choose to do the PEMA reliability for research purposes will be sent links to access the videos. On successful completion of the Reliability Test you will be authorised to use the PEMA research purposes only.

Participants are required to reach 80% reliability with 10 pre-coded videos by the end of training in order to qualify for certification.

Certification

Certification requires successful completion of the standard PEMA training. Participants are welcome to partake in PEMA training independently, as a means to adopt a PEMA-specific lens to their work.

Please note that the licensing agreement, which accompanies certification allows individual use of PEMA and does not include training others on the instrument.

For participants wishing to use PEMA for both therapeutically and for research, in order to receive PEMA Reliability Certification for Clinical and Research Purposes, it is necessary to complete an 8-week reflective practice group process. Participants will meet for 8 x 90-minute group video reflective practice sessions. Participants will employ PEMA with videotaped parent-infant interactions from their own concurrent clinical practice for group reflection. In each reflective practice session, one trainee will present a video from their own practice to utilize in-depth reflective discussion and review of video materials to develop a case formulation based on the PEMA orientation.

Reflective practice groups are limited to 4 participants to ensure optimum training conditions in support of reliability and comprehension. Thus, each trainee will present two videos throughout the reflective practice.

Trainees are required to reach 80% reliability with 5 pre-coded videos by the end of training in order to qualify for certification.

Certification

Certification requires successful completion of both the full standard PEMA training and PEMA Reflective Practice training. Participants are welcome to partake in PEMA training independently, as a means to adopt a PEM-specific lens in clinical work, but the Reflective Practice component is required to license PEMA as a clinical assessment tool. Please note that the licensing agreement, which accompanies certification allows individual use of PEMA and does not include training others on the instrument.

For further information on PEMA Reflective Practice, please contact dana@pemworks.org and rose@pemworks.org.

For those wishing to use PEMA in clinical practice, after completing PEMA Reflective Practice and achieving reliability, ongoing support and supervision will be important. This will help you to continue to develop your skills in implementing PEMA and support your ability to hold a mentalizing stance in working parents and their infants. 

For further information on PEMA supervision, please contact dana@pemworks.org and rose@pemworks.org.

Online fees:

• Online training fee if already completed prerequisite MBT-CYP Introduction and without reliability for research purposes: £875 

• Online training fee with prerequisite MBT-CYP Introduction without reliability for research purposes: £975 

• Online training fee with reliability for research purposes without prerequisite MBT-CYP Introduction: £1,000 

• Online training fee with reliability and prerequisite MBT CYP Introduction: £1,100 

• Reliability for research fee: £125

• PEMA Reflective Practice clinical and research reliability can be purchased through tutors during the training

This training can be delivered live online or face-to-face. Dates and times will vary according to format so please carefully check the dates and times for individual courses before booking.

Before signing up for a live online training, be sure to check the system requirements. Please follow this link to view our upcoming trainings.

The online platform Zoom will be used to deliver online training. Prior to booking, please ensure you meet the system requirements so you can join this training session. To test your equipment visit Zoom.us/test and follow the instructions.

For self-guided learning, materials, and homework, you will receive access to the Anna Freud Learning Hub. This is compatible with most devices. For optimal access, please use Google Chrome.

Upon booking, you will be asked to confirm that you have read and accept our terms and conditions and our privacy notice. Please read these documents before booking:

• Terms and conditions

• Privacy notice