MENTALIZATION-BASED TREATMENT (MBT) Series

“To see the mind behind behavior is to restore humanity to every encounter.” — SWEET Institute

Course Overview

Welcome to the Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) 8-Week Series, an immersive journey into the art and science of understanding minds — our own and those we serve. Over eight weeks, we will explore how curiosity transforms reactivity into reflection, how connection heals where control fails, and how mentalization — the capacity to understand behavior in terms of underlying thoughts and feelings — becomes a foundation for empathy, regulation, and change.

This course blends neuroscience, attachment theory, reflective practice, and the 4 C’s Mentalizing Stance — Calm, Curious, Connected, and Compassionate — to strengthen presence, deepen awareness, and nurture authentic relationships in every interaction.

Date: Monday, December 1, 2025
Time: 1-2pm (EST)

CEU: 1
Location: Online via zoom

This course is eligible for 1 CEU for Licensed Social Workers, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, and Psychologists in New York State

For more information about CEU approval, please click here.

Course Objectives

By the end of this series, you will be able to:

•      Define and apply the principles of mentalization in clinical and everyday contexts.

•      Recognize when mentalization breaks down and restore it through emotional regulation and curiosity.

•      Integrate attachment-based and trauma-informed insights into therapeutic relationships.

•      Demonstrate both self-mentalizing and other-mentalizing skills.

•      Apply the 4 C’s stance to enhance collaboration, supervision, and team functioning.

•      Build reflective capacity to sustain mentalization in high-stress environments.

•      Cultivate a mentalizing culture grounded in empathy, humility, and mutual understanding.

The Journey — Week by Week

•      In Week 1, we begin by seeing the mind behind behavior, learning how curiosity reshapes perception and connection.

•      In Week 2, we explore how attachment and trauma shape our capacity to mentalize, discovering the relational roots of reflection.

•      In Week 3, we uncover what happens when mentalization breaks down and how to recognize the three modes of non-mentalizing that distort reality.

•      In Week 4, we learn how to restore reflection in the heat of emotion, transforming reactivity into regulation and compassion.

•      In Week 5, we turn inward — knowing our own mind — deepening awareness of inner dialogue, emotion, and self-understanding.

•      In Week 6, we extend outward — understanding others without losing ourselves — cultivating empathy balanced by boundaries.

•      In Week 7, we apply MBT principles to relationships, teams, and systems, creating environments that support curiosity and safety.

Finally, in Week 8, our Goodbye Week: Integration and Beyond, we gather what we have learned, reflect on personal and professional transformation, and commit to embodying mentalization as a lifelong stance — a way of being, not merely a technique.

“The real work begins when the course ends — when we choose to live what we have learned.” — SWEET Institute

Here's what attendees have been saying about SWEET seminars:

"I was really re-enlightened and impressed by the educational information I received. It's always good to further hone skills to make work more accurate and efficient." - Sonia, LCSW-R

"Love being a SWEET member. I have learned so much practical information. Love the teaching model." - Michelle, LCSW-R

"The webinars presented by SWEET are easy to understand and apply to real-life practice scenarios." - Ashley, LCSW