Mentalizing Initiative

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Mentalizing Initiative

The Mentalizing Initiative is the first and only organization providing training and education in Mentalization Based Therapies on the West Coast.

Since its inception, this original program has trained thousands of clinicians in MBT around the world.

07/25/2025

🚨LAST DAY TO REGISTER FOR OUR INTRODUCTION TO MBT COURSE‼️

Tomorrow, Saturday July 26 from 9AM-12PM PST, the Mentalizing Initiative is hosting an online Introduction to Mentalization-Based Treatment course . Can’t make it? A recording will be sent to registrants within 24 hours!

3 CE credits available for live attendees!

Register now on www.mentalizinginitiative.org (link in bio/story)

Can’t wait to see you there!

07/23/2025

🚨 Calling all MBT-trained clinicians — deepen your practice with MBT Practitioner Training this October in Los Angeles!

October 17–18, 2025
UCLA Luskin Conference Center
Taught by MBT creator Professor Anthony Bateman

Up to 14 CE credits available
Registration closes: September 1

This advanced, in-person workshop is designed for mental health professionals who have completed MBT-Basic and are actively using MBT with supervision. Expect hands-on demonstrations, clinical skill building, and a deep dive into personality disorder treatment using the MBT model.

🔗 Register + learn more: www.mentalizinginitiative.org/about-1
📧 Questions? info@mentalizinginitiative.org

Share with colleagues and follow us for more MBT trainings and events.

health

07/21/2025

Robin Kissell, MD, Director of the Mentalizing Initiative, shares what mentalizing means to her:

🧠 “At its core, mentalizing is about connecting – it’s about understanding ourselves and others well enough to have meaningful connections. Without it, relationships suffer, isolation and loneliness ensue.” – Robin Kissell, MD

The ability to reflect on our own and others’ thoughts and feelings is key to building stronger, more connected lives—both personally and professionally.

Follow to explore how mentalizing supports connection, growth, and change.

07/16/2025

🧠 New Paper: On the Reality of Borderline Personality Disorder
By Alessandra D’Agostino, PhD & Mark L. Ruffalo, DPsa

This important new paper explores the legitimacy and complexity of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), pushing back against the stigma and diagnostic confusion that too often lead to inadequate care.

At the Mentalizing Initiative, our work centers on building clinical capacity, curiosity, and compassion in treating BPD through the evidence-based approach, Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT).

📌 This paper reinforces what we teach: BPD is real, complex, and treatable—when clinicians are properly trained and supported.

07/15/2025

📣 Here’s what’s on the Menu!
We’ve got an exciting lineup of MBT offerings—from the Intro to MBT to advanced Practitioner Training and specialized tracks like MBT for Trauma and Supervision. Whether you’re just getting started or deepening your expertise, there’s something for every clinician.

📩 Share this with colleagues, and follow us for more trainings, events, and mentalizing resources.

07/14/2025

Natalie Brooks, MA, LMFT, the Mentalizing Initiative’s Executive Board member, integrates mentalizing into her clinical work with individuals and families. Here’s what mentalizing means to her:

✨ “When I think about mentalizing, three words come to mind: curiosity, perspective, and reflective contemplation (even if that last one is technically two words). For me, mentalizing is about consistently staying aware of these ideas and being curious about what’s going on inside my mind and genuinely wondering about what might be happening in someone else’s mind, too. Mentalizing is about linking thoughts with feelings, but for me and my clients, it also means an awareness of bodily sensations, also called embodied mentalizing.”

This is the heart of mentalizing—holding your own experience while making space for others’.

🧠 Follow for more like this, and share with a friend or colleague who’d connect with the message.

07/11/2025

Ready to level up your therapy skills? Click the link in our bio to register for our Intro to Mentalization-Based Treatment course. We’re to give you the foundational tools to help clients understand themselves and others better. Dive into the science of mentalizing and start making real change happen. 💡🧠

06/23/2025

Our series continues with Colleen Kelly, MS, LMFT, a valued member of the Mentalizing Initiative.

“Mentalizing helps us understand both others and ourselves, which is key to getting along and thriving in the world. It’s an imaginative process that allows us to step into others’ shoes, considering the reasons behind their actions and perspectives. By reflecting on what’s going on inside ourselves and imagining what’s going on in others, we build self-awareness, empathy, and the ability to collaborate effectively. This skill is foundational to strong communication, resolving conflicts, and working together toward common goals.”

06/16/2025

Dr. Carl Fleisher, psychiatrist and core member of the Mentalizing Initiative, shares what mentalizing means to him - and why it matters in every area of human connection.

Here’s his full reflection:
“Mentalizing is curiosity about people. Mentalizing lets us understand others and feel understood in return. Feeling understood is powerful: it’s a biological signal to trust both that people care, and that we matter. Misunderstanding, on the other hand, leaves us feeling lonely or mistrustful. Mentalizing, though, gives us techniques to repair misunderstanding and restore trust. Whether we’re working with patients, colleagues, parties in conflict or schoolchildren, this ability to reconnect people also makes mentalizing the foundation of resilience and collaboration.”

06/01/2025

👉Registration now open!

01/31/2025

11/30/2024

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Mentalizing Informed Family Systems (MIST) online course, set to begin in January 2025. This pioneering course is designed and taught by the esteemed MBT family experts, Dr. Eia Asen, the creator of MIST, and Dr. Emma Morris.

For more information click here https://mentalizing.info/register/

ProfessionalDevelopment education

Address

Los Angeles, CA

Telephone

+13108597912

Website

http://www.mentalizinginitiative.org/

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