Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT):

Mentalization-based treatment (MBT) is a time-limited treatment to help people with BPD develop better mentalizing skills. Research shows MBT-N, adapted for narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), can be effective by helping patients reflect on and understand their own and others’ mental states, emotions, and behaviors. MBT-N addresses unstable self-esteem, impaired empathy, tendency to blame others, and rigid thinking to foster more flexible and stable self-perceptions and improved relationships. The therapeutic relationship also helps narcissist personalities to develop greater trust in others’ perspectives and contributions, leading to a more nuanced understanding of social interactions. In treatment, MBT shifts patients from a self-centered “me-mode” to a more cooperative “we-mode” where both therapist and patient are engaged in exploring the patient’s mental world. Also see Identity Diffusion and Identity Disturbance