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, October 20, 2025
Time: 1-2pm (EDT)

CEU: 1
Location: Online via zoom

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