A special interval

In a real sense the other three steps in Thinking Together (this being the third) are all designed deliberately to hold open this space - in which the worker who is Stating the Case is steadied enough by the mentalizing presence of their partner that they can mentalize more accurately. This is key to the value in Thinking Together - the FIRST task is to restore the mentalizing of the worker, rather than to leap straight in to working out a plan for the young person or family.

A parallel

In terms of the kind of thinking and attention that we are inviting people to apply here, this is almost identical to how we suggest workers Mentalize the Moment as it is described in the Mentalizing Loop that maps "where I am" in the hurly burly of a face to face session.

Cabin Decompression!

It is like the advice in the safety message before a flight:

"In the event of a sudden loss of air pressure, oxygen masks will drop automatically from above your head. If you are with a child BE SURE TO PLACE YOUR OWN MASK FIRST, BEFORE ATTENDING TO THE CHILD."

This is not about selfishness, it is about ensuring that our best intentions to help are supported by intact thinking!



The ritualised, marked, and boundaried "dance" that these steps describe gives permission for discussion of one's own emotional reactions, alongside those reported by the young person or family. The intention is to allow and foster a more curious and exploratory kind of thinking; one that does not compulsively "foreclose" and shut down real thinking (on the grounds that the professionals 'already know the answer', or that further thinking would somehow be "indulgent" when "it is action that is now required" - this last version would be a good example of Teleological thinking.)

Too often, clinical discussion is unmarked, and telling of the story (or rather purposeless and over-wordy "storytelling") leads straight into action.

In passing the story of a client 'outwards' to their colleague (see Ripples in a Pond), the KeyWorker will try to acknowledge and describe his or her own feeling states, that may or may not be a reaction to the young person's dilemma - but the KeyWorker will always try to MARK these as MINE:

“My own emotional reaction is despair; in hearing this story I find myself thinking that giving up is the only option...”

Why do it?

This interval is an important space from which more accurate Mentalizations, and thus more accurate assessments of the changing RiskAssessment as well as therapeutic opportunities may emerge. Our hypothesis is that with more accurate mentalizing in the system, risks are reduced.

What is it?

Mentalizing the Affect means being able to feel a feeling and simultaneously to mentalize this experience. Another name for this is "affective mentalization", which is the 'highest order' of the three Mentalizing levels.

The important links between Mentalizing, Attachment and Affect are described in Attachment and affective mentalization.

So although feeling in the present tense is a potential barrier to thinking ...in AWARENESS, it may also provide INFORMATION for the practitioner, and his or her SupervisoryStructures.

Remember that one of the features of accurate, active, successful Mentalizing is Strengths in RELATIONSHIPS which includes contemplation and reflection; the desire to reflect on how others think in a relaxed rather than compulsive manner.

Like Mentalizing the Moment

Note the strong similarities between this and Mentalize the Moment in the Mentalizing Loop that we use in mentalizing approaches to therapy/exploration with families and individuals. Effectively this is exactly the same process, but applied in a therapy case discussion.

And afterwards?

Only with the fourth and final step of Thinking Together (Return to Purpose) is this important "mentalizing hiatus" brought to a close.