MBT-C and Trauma

This three-day in-depth course offers both a broadened theoretical insiede on mentalizing and a practical and experiential depth in learning how to design and implement MBT treatment with traumatized children and their families. We discuss various trauma reactions and how to recognize them in the child (play), their parents and in their interaction. The relationship between mentalizing, disorganized attachment and epistemic strategies will be discussed. We explore how to promote the child’s epistemic confidence. This allows the child to open up and regain interest in the world around him (people, objects, play). Using case histories, we discuss the building blocks of mentalizing. We highlight specific interventions to increase their self-control and create a narrative about themselves and, where possible, their traumatic experiences. Traumatized children often have to make more of an effort to bond with others. Therefore, in the time-limited variant of MBT-C, detachment or the ending of a (therapeutic) relationship is often fraught. We therefore pay attention to how we can use the completion of therapy to recognize these feelings and use them positively.

• You have a better understanding of mentalization problems in traumatized children and parents
• You have gained skills in dealing with stress levels and pre-mentalizing modes in traumatized children
• You know how to use the closing phase of therapy to help children who have been traumatized at a very young age process themes of grief, mourning and existential loneliness
• You know techniques such as dyadic and triadic sessions with parents and child around issues of behavioral and emotional response to trauma and be able to use these techniques.

Clinical psychologists, psychotherapists, gz-psychologists, basic psychologists, remedial educationalists, psychiatrists and college graduates working in CAMHS, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services ( in Holland called the SGGZ). For this in-depth course, knowledge from the basic MBT-C course is assumed to be familiar. If you are not sure if this course is for you, please contact us at opleidingen@centrumhecht.nl.

• N. Vliegen, E. Tang & P. Meurs (2017) From injury to scar: helping children with complex trauma. Pelckmans Publishing.

• N. Vliegen, E. Tang, N. Midgley, P. Luyten & P. Fonagy (2023) Therapeutic Work with children with complex trauma. Trauma: A Three-Track Psychodynamic Approach. London Routledge.

• FGzPt 20 points
• NVvP 15 points
• NVP 19 points
• Register of Occupational Therapy 24 points
• NIP/NVO re-registration 16.5 points (treatment 13 points, diagnostics 3 points, additional literature review 10 points)
• Course accredited by Anna Freud Centre London.

Other accreditation desired? Please contact us at opleidingen@centrumhecht.nl and we will discuss options.

On the third course day, you will present a case using the theory on MBT-K and Trauma.

If you want to register as an MBT-K practitioner, support and supervision according to this model is mandatory. It helps you further develop a mentalizing attitude and implement MBT techniques learned during the training. View the list of approved MBT-K supervisors in Netherlands .

Do you want a supervisor outside the Netherlands? You can find a list of approved supervisors abroad on the Anna Freud Centre website.

We also offer this training on location. Please see the information on Incompany training.

Want to read more on this topic? Look under Publications for a list of current books and other publications.