Cognitive mentalizing refers to the mental activities involved in understanding and deducing the intentions, thoughts, motivations, goals, and beliefs of both self and other individuals. 

Cognitive mentalizing 

Affective mentalizing refers to the mental activities involved in understanding and inferring emotions of mental states in both self and others, which is a pre-requisite to empathize and experience a genuine sense of self. 

Affective mentalizing 

Internally-based mentalizing primarily relies on perspective-taking or introspective reflections when drawing inferences about the mental states of oneself and others. 

Internally based mentalizing

Self-oriented mentalizing refers to the mental activities involved in comprehending one's own feelings, motivations, intentions, thoughts, and other internal states.

Self mentalizing / Self-oriented mentalizing

Other-oriented mentalizing refers to the mental activities involved in understanding and drawing inferences about other people's mental states. 

Other mentalizing / Other-oriented mentalizing

Externally-based mentalization derives the mental states of both the self and others primarily from external cues, such as facial expressions,  verbal expressions, body language, and other observable signals.

Externally based mentalizing

Automatic/implicit mentalizing refers to a rapid, reflexive, effortless, and unconscious process of inferring the mental states of oneself and others.

Automatic mentalizing 

Controlled/explicit mentalizing refers to the sequential cognitive process involved in comprehending the mental states of oneself and others. Controlled mentalizing is a deliberate process that requires reflection, attention, and conscious efforts. 

Controlled mentalizing

1. automatic vs. controlled (implicit vs. explicit)
2. internally based vs. externally based
3. self-oriented vs. other-oriented
4. cognitive processes vs. affective processes

New York University

MBT aims to enhance patients' social cognition by fostering the ability to comprehend and interpret their own and others' mental states in a systematic and logical manner.

Mentalization-based Treatment (MBT) for BPD

Ability to represent the mental states of others and make inferences about their intentions and beliefs.

Mentalizing

Karterud, S. (2015). Mentalization-Based Group Therapy (MBT-G): A theoretical, clinical, and research manual. OUP Oxford.

Mentalization-Based Group Therapy (MBT-G)

1. Case formulation
2. Psychoeducation (MBT-I)
3. Weekly group therapy (MBT-G)
4. Biweekly individual therapy

4 Components of Short-term MBT

4 Dimensions of Mentalization

Mentalization-based therapy theorizes that the BPD symptoms arise from rapid and frequent shifts from mentalistic to altered modes of mentalizing in functioning and perceiving the world, especially in interpersonal contexts. 

Theoretical Framework in Understanding BPD Based on MBT 

1. Biological predisposition
2. Traumatic events
3. Dysfunctional attachment relationship
4. Atypical caregiving experiences

Factors Influencing the Capacity of Balanced Mentalization 

Being able to take another person’s perspective during a conversation.

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