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Bonus – Inside Mentalization-Based Treatment: Borderline & Narcissistic Personality Disorders (308)
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What is mentalization—and how can therapists put it into practice?
In this more clinical deep dive, Robert Drozek explores Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) and how strengthening our ability to understand our own and others’ inner experiences can support the treatment of borderline and narcissistic personality disorders. Sue and Robert explore the common breakdowns in mentalizing, the power of curiosity over certainty, and practical strategies clinicians
can use to help clients build greater emotional awareness, empathy, and connection.
“The hallmark of mentalization is curiosity.” – Robert Drozek
Time Stamps for Bonus – Inside Mentalization-Based Treatment: Borderline & Narcissistic Personality Disorders (308)
01:20 – What is Mentalization?
02:56 – The origins of Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT)
08:07 – Curiosity vs. certainty: What healthy mentalizing looks like
12:43 – When thoughts feel like facts: Psychic equivalence
18:14 – Certainty in Borderline Personality Disorder
19:34 – Certainty in Narcissism
20:58 – The “not-knowing” stance in MBT
26:00 – How Mentalization-Based treatment actually works
32:32 – MBT vs. DBT: What’s the difference?
35:11 – How therapists can incorporate Mentalization into practice
42:25 – Identifying Mentalizing blind spots
About our Guest – Robert P. Drozek, LICSW
Robert P. Drozek, LICSW is the clinical director of the Mentalization-Based Treatment Clinic at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. He is a teaching associate in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, specializing in the treatment of
borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. He is author of the new book, Mentalization: Utilizing reflection to heal from borderline personality disorder—the first book for the general public about
mentalization-based treatment.
Resources for Bonus – Inside Mentalization-Based Treatment: Borderline & Narcissistic Personality Disorders (308)
Download page – Free worksheets and handouts from the book
Mentalization Coach App – The first mobile app for mentalization and MBT,
adapted from my new book
Mentalization-based Treatment for Pathological Narcissism – Handbook
Mentalization-based Treatment for Personality Disorders – A practical guide
Cambridge Guide to Mentalization-based Treatment
Anna Freud Centre – The worldwide training hub for mentalization-based
treatment (MBT)
NPD Basic – A free guide to narcissistic personality disorder
MBT Boston – An organization that Robert co-founded that offers training and supervision to clinicians across the world in MBT
MBT USA – A consortium of MBT providers and organizations in the United
Robert's faculty page at McLean Hospital
Instagram: @RobertDrozek
Mentalization book – Facebook page
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