The Origins of Mentalising & Implications for Attachment, Personality & Psychotherapy - Part 2

New Zealand · CPD points & talks · Psychologists

This second talk in a three-part series continues to explore the development of mentalising capacities across both typical and disrupted developmental pathways. Dr. Ella Brent expands upon the foundational ideas introduced in Part 1, delving into the role of caregiver responsiveness in the development of a child’s emotional regulation, attention, and impulse control.

Drawing on John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory, the lecture contrasts secure attachment—characterised by proximity-seeking and contingent caregiver responses—with patterns seen in insecure attachment, highlighting how these differing relational cycles impact emotional development. Dr. Brent explains how contingent caregiving not only supports affect regulation but also lays the groundwork for the emergence of mentalisation—the ability to understand internal mental states in oneself and others.

The talk further explores how the development of reflective functioning is foundational for attentional control and impulse regulation, linking these capacities to therapeutic models such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT). The session provides valuable clinical insight for psychologists and mental health professionals working with individuals with personality vulnerabilities, emotional dysregulation, or trauma histories.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the talk the participant will be able to:

• Explain how contingent caregiver responses support the development of mentalising capacities

• Identify the relational patterns associated with insecure attachment and their impact on affect regulation

• Describe the relationship between mentalisation, attention, and impulse control

• Understand how these developmental processes inform the clinical mechanisms of DBT and MBT

• Apply attachment-informed mentalisation models to therapeutic work with clients across developmental stages

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