Mentalization as our Human-Animal Superpower

Tariki Trust, online event Thu, 16 March 2023, 13:00 - 16:00 GMT / 15:00-18.00 Helsinki 

This workshop will guide participants to the latest fascinating neuroscientific findings on what it is to be a human, and introduces our speciality skill as a species - mentalizing. Mentalizing refers to a capacity to look behind over behaviour and physical events, and to wonder what kinds of inner events (experiences, feelings, thought, beliefs) may be going on behind the behaviour. In other words, mentalizing means acknowledging the other - be it a human, bird or tree - as having a conscious aliveness, a subjectivity. Mentalization is a capacity which all of us humans possess, but we tend to lose it at times of stress and powerful emotions. We will discuss with a curious attitude, why evolution has granted us this skill, and how we should use it as a species to be healthy part of the whole ecosystem.

In addition to the theoretical aspects, the workshop will also provide very practical tools for all practitioners in healthy interaction, communication and client work. The Mentalization Based Approach is based on evolutionary psychology/biology and neuroscience, but also has a deeply humanistic and relational aspect to it. It's Human-Animal Magic.

Although this event is part of the Ten Directions training course for ecotherapy practitioners, anybody can book and take part in this public online event. If you are interested, please do buy a ticket.