Time allocation

Approx 20 minutes

Objectives

1. "Icebreaking"
2. Stimulate interactions between trainees, and set expectations that this is not going to be just "lecturing teaching by experts from the front"
3. Give a "first hand" experience of Mentalization and emphasise that we (the AMBIT team) will always try to Respect local practice and expertise.

An example for trainers/facilitators - to give a flavour of this:

Exercise

1. Warn participants that this is a "quickfire" exercise (speed-dating, rather than deep analysis!) so they need to move fast!
2. Look around you for someone you know least well in the room, and partner up.
3. Spend 2-3 minutes each, saying:
1. Who you are
2. What you do
3. Why you think you are here today
4. While one person is speaking the listener's job is to understand this (they can ask simple questions to clarify, etc) and think about how they would explain why this person is here to the larger group.
5. When both have spoken, return to the large group.
1. Trainers introduce each other to the group in the same way (trainers/facilitators: use this as a way of Broadcasting Intentions that you have for the training!).
2. In a small training, ask partners to introduce each other (NOT themselves) and particularly to try to explain why this other person has come today (their hopes and fears about the training; this could be any one of thousands of possible reasons/motivations - from "because my boss told me to" to "because I live and breathe mentalization-based practice...")
3. In a large training ask individuals to call out themes that they picked up from their partners (NOT from themselves)
6. Invite reflection about what it is like to have one's thoughts and intentions "reflected back" or "relayed on" - when the other person got it "spot on", and "when they didn't quite get it"
7. Emphasise that what they have all been doing is Mentalizing (of course!)...

LEARNING/DISCUSSION POINTS

• Mentalizing is something that everyone already does - we are just giving it a name, but...
• Are we just teaching people what they already now then?
• No, as we are going to be asking people to DO this, purposefully, in places where they might ordinarily find themselves doing something else (like being very certain, or just engaging in action!)
• Look for (and point out) the degree of tentativeness/hesitation/curiosity in the person introducing their partner - do they check in with their partner as they are introducing them?...
• Often you can see very clearly how the "introducer" is monitoring the reaction of their partner as they introduce
• as though they are looking for signals to gauge how accurate their introduction is... (people who are looking for these signals are not certain; (hint: they are mentalizing!)
• What signals told you that someone is not certain about what they are saying about you?
• Statements like "What I took from them was...", or "I think maybe...", "I was wondering if..."
• Checking in with eye contact
• Explicitly asking: "Is that what you meant?"
• Talk about what it was LIKE for you to have to introduce somebody else
• generally this is slightly stressful as we know that there is the possibility of upsetting them if we get it wrong.
• Talk about what it was LIKE to have someone introduce you
• generally, if that person gets it right enough, this is not an unpleasant experience.
• If they get it wrong it is quite uncomfortable!
• Note how minor and "impersonal" this task is ("What's your job, why are you here?") - what if it was about somethng much more personal?!
• Generally in the group attendees will be happy to admit that they didn't really know why their partner had made the effort to attend... this made them curious, and keen to monitor their partner's reactions to what they were saying...
• How much MORE is this the case when we see clients in our work
• how much do we remember how LITTLE we really understand about their motives for being here, and vice for them thinking about us!