Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children, Adolescents and Families, Dialogues Between Research and Practice

¹With the publication of this special issue, the Journal of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy (JICAP) is proud to continue our tradition of fostering a dialogue between researchers and clinicians who are developing significant psychodynamic interventions with children, adolescents and families in both community and clinical practice settings. We extend our deep appreciation to the organizers, The Vidal I Barraquer Mental Health University Institute (Ramon Llull University) and the IMAGINA-Centre for Mentalization Applications, and all on the Organizing and Scientific Committees (see listing in the Appendix to this Foreword).

When Professors Mark Dangerfield² and Norka Malberg³ approached JICAP with an invitation to collaborate, along with the Anna Freud National Center for Children and Families, in support of the First international Congress on Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children, Adolescents and Families, we were deeply honored and immediately agreed. Not only was this congress a milestone for the Mentalization Based theoretical, research and clinical community, but the presence of such a broad and talented group of internationally recognized scholars, researchers, theoreticians and clinicians dialoguing in one beautiful venue (The Barcelona Science Museum Cosmocaixa), presented an unusual opportunity for us to learn and continue to grow together. With great excitement, we share with you the work of many of the participants in that congress. Additional articles written by other significant participants will be forthcoming in 2024 Volume 23#2. Several related contributions regarding Mentalization-based treatments can be found throughout the journal’s prior publications.⁴

In her Introduction to this Special Issue, Dr Norka Malberg, co-convener of the MBT congress, speaks of the theoretical and research foundation upon which this congress stands. Her early and enduring voice for application of mentalization theory and research to work with children and adolescents extends back decades. Rooted in her training and work at the Anna Freud Centre, in the UK, as well as her doctoral work at the University College, London. Dr Malberg’s early work, an exploration of the use of Attachment Theory to inform treatment approaches in the community captured my imagination (Malberg, 2013; Malberg et al., 2012). As a professor in the combined/integrated school/clinical psychology doctoral program, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University in NY, I had been, for some years, studying, contemplating and teaching about the implications of Attachment research for clinical and community work with Children and Adolescents. As the recently appointed Editor in Chief of JICAP, I decided to meet this woman, who had become president of the Child and Adolescent Section (II) of the Division of Psychoanalysis of the American Psychological Association. Dr Malberg was at that time at the Yale Child Study Center in New Haven Connecticut, and was continuing to extend psychoanalytic work into community settings. We were instantly “in synch.”

Thus began our wonderful collaboration, and years later, to the Journal’s invitation for Norka Malberg to become the International Editor for this journal. Through Norka, we became introduced to Professor Mark Dangerfield and his exciting community work using AMBIT, in Barcelona, Spain (Bevington & Dangerfield, 2024). Connections to the wider analytical community have proceeded apace. We can truly say, Norka, Malberg and Mark Dangerfield, and their collaborators, have literally brought us the world, an important view into the interior of contemporary psychoanalysis … an international perspective integrative of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic clinical work, a focus on extension into community settings, creative work with underserved populations … amazing work, with on-going research supporting its evidence base.

It has been approximately a decade, since JICAP and Section II (Childhood and Adolescence of the Division of Psychoanalysis of the American Psychological Association, 39) collaborated in developing a much smaller conference in New York City, introducing both the concept and exploring the implications of what was at that point a newly developing theoretical and research perspective, with evolving implications for child and adolescent treatment. That well-attended conference, entitled “Wondering and Imagining: Mentalization in Clinical Work with Children and Adolescents (Warshaw, 2015) generated much excitement among attendees, as we explored the growing application of this relatively recent theoretical development to psychodynamic infant, child, adolescent and parent work. Articles derived from that early conference can be found in (Warshaw, 2015) Volume 14 (3) The Journal of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy. Several prominent contributors to that Special issue were among the early leaders of the MBT-C movement, some of whom were also present at this June 2023 conference in Barcelona. Additionally, throughout the past ten years we have been privileged to publish the research and clinical applications of many working with a mentalization perspective. As I look back to those earlier articles, I am in awe at the evolution of thought, creative applications and the growing research base, supporting these particular forms of psychodynamic treatment. In this current Special Issue of JICAP we capture some aspects of the virtual explosion of work in the area. We are particularly grateful to all of the authors who have shared their ground breaking work, and those who have been publishing with us throughout the past decade. We hope you will find these stimulating articles meaningful and applicable and will continue to research and expand the evidence base for psychodynamic approaches to treatment.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. The articles in the special Issue were all derived from, or written by authors presenting at The First International Congress on Mentalization Based Treatment for Children, Adolescents and Families, Barcelona, Spain June 29 and 30, 2023 Organized by The Vidal I Barraquer Mental Health University Institute (Ramon Llull University) and the IMAGINA-Centre for Mentalization Applications.

2. Mark Dangerfield, PhD, Director of the Vidal & Barraquer University Institute of Mental Health at Ramon Llull University in Barcelona. Lead AMBIT trainer and MBT-A trainer and supervisor at the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in London.

3. Norka Malberg, PsyD, Director of IMAGINA Mentalization Applications Centre and consults to multiple community mental health organizations. She is on the faculty of the Vidal & Barraquer University Institute of Mental Health at Ramon Llull University and on the Clinical faculty of the Yale Child Study Center at Yale University and the psychology department at Rutgers University.

4. Use the key word, Mentalization at the journal site, and look through related readings.

Appendix

The Vidal I Barraquer Mental Health University Institute (Ramon Llull University) and the IMAGINA-Centre for Mentalization Application

In Collaboration with:

Anna Freud National center for Children and families

The Journal of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychotherapy, The JICAP Foundation.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

• Inés Aramburu

• Francesca Asensio

• Elisenda Codina

• Mark Dangerfield

• Norka Malberg

• Noemí Paniello

• Josep Parés

• Xavier Trias

• Francesc Vilurbina

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

• Pedro Sanz (coordinator)

• Antonella Cirasola

• Holly Dwyer

• Marta Golanó

• Josep Mercadal

• Ana Oriol