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

This training is suitable for professionals working with young children and their families including: Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, Mental Health Counsellors, Home Visitors, Family Support Workers, Outreach Workers, Nursery Staff, Behaviour Support specialists, and anyone providing parenting education and/or counselling to parents of young children.

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

• Explore and identify the theory and movement language underlying PEM

• Learn step-by-step processes to identify risk and protective factors in parent-child dyads

• Fulfill prerequisite requirements for Reflective Practice and PEMA™ Certification

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.

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 can book onto this self-guided online training here.

You will 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 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 PEMA 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.

For participants wishing to use PEMA for research, and not clinical purposes, in order to receive PEMA certification, participants are required to complete the Reliability Test, which includes the additional coding of up to 5 practice and 10 standardized 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 authorized to use the PEMA research purposes only.

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 certification, participants are required to complete the Reliability Test, which includes the additional coding of up to 5 practice and 10 standardized 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 authorized to use the PEMA research purposes only.

To use the PEMA reliably in clinical practice, 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, exploring the application of PEMA with pre-coded (standardized) training video samples. One tape needs to be coded per week in preparation for the reflective practice meeting. Additionally, participants will employ PEMA with videotaped parent-infant interactions from their own concurrent clinical practice for group reflection.

For more information or to book on, please click here: Parental Embodied Mentalizing Assessment (PEMA™): 8-week Reflective Practice

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.