Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children (MBT-C) - a Time-Limited Approach
Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children (MBT-C) is a time-limited approach to working with children in middle childhood (ages 5-12) and their parents.
MBT-C is an integrative approach, which brings together psychodynamic principals with findings from attachment and affect-regulation theory, systemic family therapy and empirical studies of mentalization. It is a flexible approach for use in clinical settings to address a range of childhood difficulties including; emotional and behavioural problems, anxiety, depression, and relational difficulties.
About Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children: MBT-C
This training will provide an introduction to Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children (MBT-C), offering a practical approach to the key elements of the model. The training includes a focus on the core mentalizing stance, approaches to assessment and case formulation, as well as the opportunity to develop specific skills for working with school-age children and parents from a mentalizing perspective.
The training is based on the following text: Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children A Time-Limited Approach by Midgley, N., Ensink, K., Lindqvist, K., Malberg, N. and Muller, N. (2017). American Psychological Association.
To learn about the key features of time-limited MBT-C with school age children and their parents, including adaptations to online and remote therapy;
To develop practitioner skills in assessment and case formulation;
To promote practitioner abilities in employing a
mentalizing stance
in work with school-age children and parents;
To develop practical skills in employing MBT-C techniques for working with children and parents to support the ‘building blocks’ of mentalizing - attention control, emotion regulation and explicit mentalizing.
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.
This training will assume a working knowledge of the concept of mentalization. Prior to 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 will be given access to the MBT CYP training one month before the training start date of your MBT-C training.
MBT CYP is a self-directed online training and consists of a series of short videos, presentations and activities that span six hours and can be worked through at your own pace. Topics covered include what is mentalizing and why it’s important; identifying effective and ineffective mentalizing; how mentalizing develops; its relevance in childhood, adolescence and family contexts; and will introduce the mentalizing stance which underpins mentalization-based treatments. It is essential that you complete this training otherwise you will not have the theoretical knowledge to get the most out of the MBT-C training you are scheduled to attend. If, for any reason, 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.
After completing the online Introduction to MBT CYP training and the MBT-C training you will have a sound understanding of mentalizing theory and its practice with school-age children and parents. You’ll have developed a range of skills in assessment and case formulation for children aged 5-12 and in using a time-limited mentalizing approach with children and parents. We hope you will be able to bring this knowledge to your current practice, whatever setting you are working on.
For those who want to be registered as an MBT-C practitioner, ongoing support and supervision will be important. This will help you to continue to develop your skills in implementing MBT-C techniques and support your ability to hold a mentalizing stance in working with children and parents. If you’d like to be recognised as an MBT-C practitioner, supervision with an MBT-C approved supervisor on two cases is essential.
You can access individual or group supervision with an approved MBT-C supervisor through online supervision groups with the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families. Email the training team on training@annafreud.org with the following information: your name; preferred language; and the MBT- model you’d like supervision in. A member of the training team will email you back with upcoming dates, times and fees for any current and future online supervision groups you might join.
After you have had some experience in delivering MBT-C along with supervision with an MBT-C approved supervisor, you might be interested in having your efforts recognised and joining a growing group of professionals internationally who have achieved MBT-C practitioner status. Below are the requirements for achieving MBT- C practitioner status.
Have a pre-existing professional qualification, e.g. - as a counsellor, psychologist, social worker, family therapist, play therapist, arts therapist, psychiatrist or psychotherapist working with children;
Have read the MBT-C manual and attended an approved MBT-C introductory training (3 days or equivalent);
Have had at least 6 individual (or 10 group) supervisions on a
minimum of two MBT- cases (one child, and one parent - or for those who only want to be registered for working with parents only, two parent cases). Supervision should be with someone from the list of approved MBT-C supervisors. At least one case needs to be video/audio recorded and supervision offered based on those recordings. If the supervisions are in group, the practitioner's own work needs to be presented at least 6 times;
With the supervisor's written agreement, to forward a minimum of
one tape of an MBT-C session with a child (or parent), together with a brief case formulation and reflective commentary on the session, to be reviewed by an MBT-C supervisor (not the same person who supervised cases) and approved as demonstrating core elements of mentalizing stance and mentalizing practice for MBT-C. Please see case formulation and reflective commentary submission guidelines
here. If not approved, the reviewer will provide written feedback on areas for further development and provide recommendations re: minimum supervised practice needed before the practitioner can re-submit.
Once approved, MBT-C practitioner names will be listed on Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families list of registered MBT-C practitioners. Once you reach MBT-C practitioner status you are encouraged to continue with CPD, in order to maintain and promote standards. You are encouraged to carry an MBT-C caseload (at least 2 cases per year), and should receive regular supervision or join a peer-supervision group with other MBT-C practitioners, and have the opportunity to present their own work to this group at least three times per year. Practitioners are also encouraged to attend conferences, courses and read relevant papers that will help to develop their MBT-C practice.
Please see hereto download a form to complete for practitioner status. After receiving your form, you will be issued with a certificate and your name will be added to the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families list of registered MBT-C practitioners.
After you have had some experience in delivering MBT-C along with supervision with an MBT-C approved supervisor, you might be interested in having your efforts recognised and joining a growing group of professionals internationally who have achieved MBT-C practitioner status. Below are the requirements for achieving MBT- C practitioner status.
Have a pre-existing professional qualification, e.g. - as a counsellor, psychologist, social worker, family therapist, play therapist, arts therapist, psychiatrist or psychotherapist working with children;
Have read the MBT-C manual and attended an approved MBT-C introductory training (3 days or equivalent);
Have had at least 6 individual (or 10 group) supervisions on a
minimum of two MBT- cases (one child, and one parent - or for those who only want to be registered for working with parents only, two parent cases). Supervision should be with someone from the list of approved MBT-C supervisors. At least one case needs to be video/audio recorded and supervision offered based on those recordings. If the supervisions are in group, the practitioner's own work needs to be presented at least 6 times;
With the supervisor's written agreement, to forward a minimum of
one tape of an MBT-C session with a child (or parent), together with a brief case formulation and reflective commentary on the session, to be reviewed by an MBT-C supervisor (not the same person who supervised cases) and approved as demonstrating core elements of mentalizing stance and mentalizing practice for MBT-C. Please see case formulation and reflective commentary submission guidelines
here. If not approved, the reviewer will provide written feedback on areas for further development and provide recommendations re: minimum supervised practice needed before the practitioner can re-submit.
Once approved, MBT-C practitioner names will be listed on Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families list of registered MBT-C practitioners. Once you reach MBT-C practitioner status you are encouraged to continue with CPD, in order to maintain and promote standards. You are encouraged to carry an MBT-C caseload (at least 2 cases per year), and should receive regular supervision or join a peer-supervision group with other MBT-C practitioners, and have the opportunity to present their own work to this group at least three times per year. Practitioners are also encouraged to attend conferences, courses and read relevant papers that will help to develop their MBT-C practice.
Please see hereto download a form to complete for practitioner status. After receiving your form, you will be issued with a certificate and your name will be added to the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families list of registered MBT-C practitioners.
The online platform Zoom will be used to deliver this training. Prior to booking on, please ensure you meet the system requirements so you're able to join this training.
Before the training, please test your equipment is working by going to Zoom.us/test and follow the instructions.