Mentalizing as a conceptual bridge from Psychodynamic to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies

Abstract

This article proposes that promoting mentalizing – attending to mental states such as thoughts and feelings in oneself and others – is fundamental to the effectiveness of psychotherapy, regardless of the theoretical approach of the therapist. Albeit rooted historically in psychoanalysis and attachment theory, mentalizing applies equally to third-generation cognitive-behavioral therapies, that is, metacognitive approaches. The author advocates a synergy between psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral therapies, wherein a focus on attachment-related impairments in mentalizing capacity can inform metacognitive inter- ventions, and a range of novel interventions in metacognitive approaches, such as mind- fulness practice, have the potential to enhance mentalizing.