Skip to content

Mentalization-Based Treatments (MBT) for Children, Young People and Families

Our trainings aim to equip you with the knowledge and skills to implement a mentalizing approach to your current clinical work.

View our upcoming MBT-CYP training

About this training

This self-guided online training explores mentalization and its applications for children, young people, families, parents, carers, and teams.

You will gain a solid foundation in mentalization theory for enhanced skills in working with these groups.

This course is a prerequisite for attending the following MBT-CYP trainings, providing mental health professionals with the opportunity to work towards becoming a MBT-CYP practitioner:

This will ensure you have the theoretical knowledge to get the most out of the training you are scheduled to attend. If you have not yet selected a further MBT-CYP course to train in, this course will provide you with an introduction to these courses and support you in selecting the most appropriate course for your training and development needs. 

Aims of this training

  • To increase your understanding of mentalizing and why it is important. 

  • To help you to identify effective and ineffective mentalizing.

  • To help you understand how mentalizing develops and its relevance in childhood, adolescence and family contexts. 

Who is this training for? 

This training is suitable for professionals working with children, young people, parents, carers, and teams. By attending this training, you will gain a solid foundation in mentalization theory for enhanced skills in working with these groups.

This training may also be of interest to individuals with wider professional or personal interest in children and young people’s mental health or those interested in learning more about mentalizing and mentalization based treatments. Effective mentalizing can support wellbeing, regulate emotion, help form a strong sense of self and develop good interpersonal relationships.

MBT Programmes

Listed below are Mentalization-focused and MBT training programmes offered by Anna Freud for professionals working with children, young people and families.

International MBT-CYP Training and Conferences

International Congress on Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children, Adolescents and Families

We will be supporting the second International Congress on Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children, Adolescents and Families, which will be taking place in Santiago, Chile, on the 6th, 7th, and 8th of November 2025.

The Congress is being organised through a collaboration between Diego Portales University, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, University of Valparaíso, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, the NGO Paicabi Corporation for the Promotion and Support of Childhood, and MIDAP (Millennium Institute for Research on Depression and Personality). It is also being supported by IMAGINA, the Mentalization Applications Centre, and Anna Freud.

Find out more