Mentalizing in Family Work

Mentalizing is a crucial aspect of all psychotherapeutic treatments. In addition to all the tools a family therapist carries into the therapy space, mentalizing provides a way of connecting to families with the secure base of therapy/therapist to allow for more curious and open discussions that can feel threatening to all family members. Uncovering hidden, sometimes long-held, mental states within families, is key in supporting secure attachment in the context of the family system. Family mentalizing therapy can assist young people struggling to find their voice such that the entire family system can develop improved ways of connecting while decreasing risk of injury to themselves.