Review of Minding emotions: Cultivating mentalization in psychotherapy.

Interpersonal Rejection, Ostracism, and Mentalisation in Women’s Friendships: Clinical Implications for Rumination

“…The theory of mentalisation was originally conceived by an integration of psychoanalysis, developmental psychology, and cognitive neuroscience. Theories conveyed in the psychoanalytic and psychodynamic literature have been considerably advanced by the development of an evidence base for which mentalisation is highly regarded in the context of child, youth, and adult psychotherapeutic practice (Jurist, 2018). Liotti and Gilbert (2010) reviewed social and interpersonal patterns that suggest people with higher mentalising capacity tend to be more proficient in interpreting and attending to the mind of another, for example, a child, close partner, or family member.…”

“…In the treatment of prolonged rumination as well as increased vulnerability to depression and anxiety, cognitive and behavioural therapies have not demonstrated effectiveness over time intervals because of the complex association rumination has with learned response styles, adverse childhood experiences, environment, socio-cultural expectancies, biological characteristics, and possibly hormonal variations (Watkins & Roberts, 2020). Emotion-oriented communication, therefore, is an important paradigm operationalised in mentalisation-based treatment, whereby learning to identify, describe, and label emotions is a core focus in the treatment setting, including conversations (mental state talk) targeting regulation of emotion (Jurist, 2018).…”

“…It is well known that psychotherapists play a unique role in the "attachment walk" by helping people regain a sense of self, observing incongruities in mental state functioning, and communicating through symbolic meaning (i.e., self, and other mental representations) so that these come to the attention of the client (Allen & Fonagy, 2006;Jurist, 2018). The mentalising stance, better known as the "mentalising therapist", upholds a principle that communicating an interest in understanding the client's mental states is paramount.…”

“…Mentalisation, therefore, is an important internal construct for navigating the social-affiliative system and fostering mutual growth and is a crucial self-protective capacity intended to moderate moral risk. Mentalisation ought to be normalised in the context of the psychotherapeutic setting so that clients may seek relief from interpersonal difficulties, and social and emotional pain, and reduction in ruminative thinking, mood affect vulnerability, and adult attachment difficulties (Jurist, 2018).…”

“…Alexithymia is conceived as a personality trait, a difficulty in identifying and differentiating one's emotions. Any person regardless of gender or pathology can experience challenges in identifying and naming their feelings and emotions, not discounting developmental and neurobiological links (i.e., autism spectrum conditions, schizophrenia) (Jurist, 2018). While alexithymia has been linked to both avoidant and anxious attachment styles, a vast number of empirical studies have focused on the 11/17 avoidant-dismissive attachment profile (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2016, p. 223).…”