About Us & Our Founder

MBT helps people better understand themselves and others by strengthening the ability to reflect on thoughts, feelings, and relationships.

About Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT)

  • Mentalization is the capacity to understand ourselves and others by interpreting behavior in terms of thoughts, feelings, wishes, and intentions. It is the ability to “hold mind in mind,” and to reflect on what might be going on inside us and the people we interact with[1].

    When we lose this capacity, especially under stress, relationships can become confusing, overwhelming, or conflict-filled. MBT is designed to strengthen and restore this capacity [1][2].

  • Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy originally developed for people struggling with borderline personality disorder[1][5]. Research has since demonstrated its effectiveness for a range of difficulties, including:

    • Depression and anxiety[3]

    • Relationship and attachment difficulties[4]

    • Trauma and post-traumatic stress[4]

    • Emotional dysregulation and impulsivity[5]

    MBT is rooted in attachment theory and developmental psychology[1][2]. It is typically delivered in both individual and group formats[1].

  • MBT focuses less on providing answers and more on strengthening the process of inquiry itself. A therapist helps the patient notice when mentalization “breaks down” and guides them back into a curious, open stance[2].

    Core features of MBT include:

    • Curiosity over certainty: asking “what might be going on?” rather than assuming[1]

    • Focusing on the here and now: especially within relationships, including the therapy relationship[1][2]

    • Repairing breaks in understanding: noticing misunderstandings and exploring them openly[2]

    Collaborative stance: therapist and patient work together, side by side, to explore mind and meaning[1]

  • Strengthening mentalization can help people:

    • Reduce emotional reactivity and impulsivity[5]

    • Improve relationships and communication[3][4]

    • Gain a clearer sense of identity and self-understanding[4]

    • Build resilience in the face of stress or conflict[3]

    The goal of MBT is not to give people answers but to help them become more flexible, reflective, and resilient in how they understand themselves and others[2].

  • This website is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Therapists who wish to practice MBT should complete formal training and supervision.

    The content on this page was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Adam Henderson, MD, prior to publication.

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Meet The Founder

  • Dr. Henderson is a board-certified psychiatrist with a passion for helping people better understand themselves and their relationships through reflection, curiosity, and connection. His clinical work and teaching are grounded in Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT), to support people in developing resilience, emotional clarity, and stronger relationships.

    • Faculty Appointment: Harvard Medical School

    • Staff Psychiatrist: McLean Hospital

    • Board certifications: Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine

    • Medical Licensure: Massachusetts and California

    • Mentalization Experience: 1 year as a trainee and 2 years as a staff psychiatrist in the McLean Hospital Mentalization Based Therapy Clinic

    His clinical and teaching roles have allowed him to work with a wide range of individuals and teams, and to share the principles of MBT with both patients and other clinicians.

  • Dr. Henderson offers clinical supervision and individual MBT treatment to patients in his private practice. Learn more at www.adamhendersonmd.com

References

  1. Bateman, A., & Fonagy, P. (2006). Mentalization-Based Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder: A Practical Guide. Oxford University Press.

  2. Bateman, A., & Fonagy, P. (2016). Mentalization-Based Treatment for Personality Disorders: A Practical Guide. Oxford University Press.

  3. Bateman, A. W., Gunderson, J., & Mulder, R. (2015). Treatment of personality disorder. The Lancet, 385(9969), 735–743.

  4. Luyten, P., Campbell, C., & Fonagy, P. (2020). Borderline personality disorder, complex trauma, and problems with self and identity: A social-communicative approach. Journal of Personality, 88(1), 88–105.

  5. Bateman, A. W., & Fonagy, P. (2009). Randomized controlled trial of outpatient Mentalization-Based Treatment versus structured clinical management for borderline personality disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 166(12), 1355–1364.