by Anthony W. Bateman (Author, Editor), Peter Fonagy (Author, Editor)

Mentalizing is the fundamental human capacity to read one s own and others mental states such as thoughts and feelings. The editors of Handbook of Mentalizing in Mental Health Practice have authored two previous books aimed at establishing mentalizing as a developmental and clinical concept. Here they further explore mentalizing as a fundamental psychological process and seek to extend its use across a wide range of disorders, particularly in the treatment of patients with personality disorders and in preventive intervention in childhood. The first part of the book helps the reader understand the impact of a mentalizing perspective on the treatment of patients in different psychotherapy contexts. The second part focuses on the patient, identifying effective techniques for a variety of illnesses, including depression, trauma, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, and drug addiction. Throughout, the contributors persuasively argue that the promotion of mind-mindedness in both patient and clinician is critical to any therapy. Across modalities, Handbook of Mentalizing in Mental Health Practice is essential reading for mental health clinicians.