Mentalization based therapy (MBT)

What is mentalizing?

In your relationships with others, privately or at work, you are often unconsciously interpreting your own behavior (and that of others) and considering the underlying thoughts, feelings, wishes or intentions of the behavior. This is called mentalizing.

So it’s about recognizing and understanding what you feel, think or physically experience, and why you behave the way you do. At the same time, mentalizing is about imagining what other people feel and think and why they behave in certain ways. And that you realize that not all people think, feel or react the same way.

You are not always aware of your own behavior and you react unconsciously to certain situations. When you mentalize, you consciously examine your own behavior (or that of someone else) and ask yourself what thoughts and emotions led to it. For example, you wonder:

• Why did I do that?
• Did I hurt his feelings when I said that?
• What is going on in his head that makes him behave this way?
• Does the other person really mean what he says?

Mentalizing facilitates relationships and has an important interpersonal function, because it helps you respond appropriately to the other person. If you can recognize another person’s behavior and associated emotions, mentalizing can help you adjust your attitude, facial expression and tone accordingly. Mentalizing also makes your social environment more predictable, because it helps you anticipate and understand what people do and why they react in certain ways.

Problems with mentalizing

If you have no or insufficient insight into your own feelings and those of others, you may have difficulty managing your emotions and behavior and correctly interpreting the behavior and feelings of others.

You may not understand the intent behind others’ behavior and react impulsively and inappropriately. This can make contact with your colleagues, family or friends less well or you may not feel completely understood.

This can lead to misunderstandings, irritations, incomprehension, mistrust or frustration. It can also have a negative impact on your self-image or can lead to mood swings.

What is Mentalization based therapy (MBT)

Mentalization based therapy (MBT) is a form of psychotherapy that aims to improve your ability to mentalize, that is, to better understand and interpret your own thoughts, feelings and intentions and those of others.

It helps you think before you react to your own feelings or to the observed feelings of others. It also helps you avoid misinterpreting someone else’s intentions, allowing you to respond appropriately.

As your ability to mentalize increases, you are better able to put your own behavior or the behavior of others into perspective, regulate stressful feelings, and trust others, which will make your contacts and relationships smoother and more pleasant. This applies to every relationship, both work and private. A better ability to mentalize also has a positive effect on your self-confidence, your self-image, your mood, in short, a positive effect on your daily life.

For which mental health issues?

Initially, MBT was created as a therapy for people with borderline personality disorder. Nowadays it is a valuable therapy for the treatment of problems in interpersonal relationships or issues such as depression, anxiety, addiction, eating disorders or trauma.

Contact Psychologen Amsterdam

Do you need help or do you just have a question about mentalization based therapy? Then call for an appointment or send a message to Psychologen Amsterdam.