Mentalizing supported parent child intervention: a bonding orientated therapy approach in the context of traumatised family systems

Abstract

Early traumatic experiences result in complex trauma-based disturbances that, above all, also influence the bonding and relationship abilities. This places an increased risk factor on individuals with respect to later parenting and bonding offers to their own children. In particular, traumatized parents who have a limited capability to mentalize, there is the danger of insufficient parental presence and as a result, early and extensive socio-emotional developmental disturbances in their children.

The author provides an integrated treatment approach (mentalizing-supported parent-child intervention) that, at the interface between therapeutic treatment and psychological trauma - pedagogic intervention and with the help of various building blocks, attempts to break the trans-generational vicious circle of transmitting traumatic experiences. The mentalizing supported parent-child intervention is multi-modal and, after a comprehensive and specific trauma-bonding entry diagnosis, includes as an essential element mentalizing training within the framework of a parent-child intervention as a well as offering an accompanying mentalizing oriented psychotherapy for the participating parents.

Keywords: Ability to mentalize, bonding trauma, trans-generational transmission, sensitivity, mental status, disorganized bonding structure, bonding disturbance