MENTAL ACTIVITY DURING THERAPEUTIC LISTENING: PROFILES AND INFLUENCE OF PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
The mentalization capacity of the therapist is considered central to imagining and understanding the internal experience and reactions of the patient as well as their own. Mentalization involves cognitive and affective processes in a clinical context that can be conceptualized and operationalized for research as the Therapist’s Mental Activity (TMA). The TMA measure includes three scales to assess the rational/objective, reactive/unconscious and reflective/mentalizing modes. The TMA of 107 experienced and trainee therapists was measured. Three distinct profiles of TMA were identified and were associated with experience. The theoretical and clinical implications of these profiles are discussed.