Body-Oriented Mentalizing in Clinical Practice

Supporting Patients with Persistent Physical Symptoms

Jaap Spaans author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd

Publishing:30th Dec '25

£29.99

This title is due to be published on 30th December, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

Body-Oriented Mentalizing in Clinical Practice cover

Body-oriented mentalization-based therapy (B-MBT) helps patients link physical signals to their inner experiences, such as thoughts, emotions, and memories, allowing them to become aware of previously unrecognized bodily sensations and internal responses. This book explores how B-MBT may be used to provide therapeutic support to patients with severe Persistent Physical Symptoms (PPS), formerly also known as Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms (MUPS).

Chapters present vivid examples of B-MBT in practice and highlight key therapeutic skills for readers to apply to their own work with patients. Divided into three sections, chapters cover:

  • An introduction to theory behind B-MBT and PPS.
  • A section exploring treatment, including basic interventions, non-verbal therapies, responding to old inner pains, and guidance for encouraging patients to progress towards a balanced lifestyle.
  • A section on practical tools for group, systemic and multidisciplinary therapeutic treatments.

Body-Oriented Mentalizing in Clinical Practice is an essential read for any practitioner who wants to learn more about treatment options for patients experiencing severe PPS. It will be of particular interest to (para)medical professionals, mental health specialists and non-verbal therapists.

Tables 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 8.1, 9.1, A.1, A.2, A.3, A.5.1, A.5.2 and A.5.3 are available as downloadable support materials from www.routledge.com/9781041068617

Body-Oriented Mentalizing in Clinical Practice is a book borne out of intimate knowledge of how to treat patients with persistent physical symptoms. It is highly recommended for its clear didactic structure, its focus on bodily phenomena in psychotherapy and for its very practical “Know how” details.”

Peter Henningsen, Professor of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Munich, Germany

“In this well-written book, the reader will find an extensive theoretical foundation for this multidisciplinary treatment and, importantly, a detailed overview of how to apply this treatment, interspersed with appealing examples. Highly recommended for anyone who guides and cares for people with severe Persistent Physical Symptoms (PPS).”

Henriëtte van der Horst, professor Em. of general medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, the Netherlands: Former chairman of the Dutch PPS care standard

Body-Oriented Mentalizing in Clinical Practice describes a pathbreaking adaptation of the therapeutic approach of mentalizing to help patients understand the relationship between their mental and somatic experiences when physical symptoms are persistent. The book includes applications for individual, non-verbal, group, and systemic therapies.”

James Levenson MD, Rhona Arenstein Professor of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA

“This book is one of the most valuable contributions to the particular importance of the body in the mentalisation model, both theoretically and practically. Jaap Spaans focuses with the concept of body-oriented mentalization-based therapy on the large group of patients with persistent physical (somatoform) symptoms. This book is a milestone in the improvement of mentalization-based theory and practice for patients with persistent physical complaints, after the body has been forgotten in the discussion of the Theory of Mind.”

Ulrich Schultz-Venrath, Prof. Dr. med., Professor emeritus of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at Witten/Herdecke University, Germany, working in private practice as psychoanalyst, training group analyst, MBT-Therapist and –Supervisor in Cologne, Germany

ISBN: 9781041068617

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

212 pages