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Mentalizing the Body in Research and Clinical Practice: Parental Embodied Mentalizing Assessment (PEMA™)

This five-day online training in Parental Embodied Mentalizing Assessment (PEMA™) is for professionals working with parents, infants, and young children. It equips participants to recognise embodied patterns in parent-infant interaction.

About this training

Our 5-day training is tailored for professionals working with parents and infants, aiming to integrate PEMA™ into their clinical practice. The PEMA™ Intensive Training Program offers a comprehensive learning experience where participants delve into identifying parent-infant embodied circles of communication and specific elements of parent-infant interaction. Through a combination of didactic teachings, experiential exercises, and video examples, attendees explore key features of parent-infant nonverbal communication and their profound implications for child development. 

This training consists of five half-day sessions and will be delivered online via Zoom. Joining links will be sent to participants closer to the training date.

Each session includes a homework task that must be completed as it will form the basis of discussion the following day. Participants should allocate at least one hour per day to complete this work.

Aims of this training

  • To introduce the theory and research behind Parental Embodied Mentalizing (PEM) from its developer, Dr. Dana Shai. 

  • To explore and identify the theory and movement language underlying PEM. 

  • To learn step-by-step processes to identify risk and protective factors in parent-child dyads. 

  • To fulfil prerequisite requirements for Reflective Practice and PEMA™ Certification. 

Who is this training for? 

This training is suitable for professionals working with young children and their families including, but not limited to: 

  • Psychologists 

  • Psychotherapists 

  • Social workers 

  • Marriage and family therapists 

  • Mental health counsellors 

  • Outreach workers 

Interested in commissioning training for your team?

Enquire about commissioned training

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