June 15 & 22, 5:30pm-7pm CDT on Zoom

Registration fee: $10 for both sessions
CEUs available for social work & LPC: $20 for 3 credit hours

Workshop description:

Mentalization, or reflective functioning, involves the ability to tease out the mental states that underlie behavior and is the skill of being able to see yourself from the outside and others from the inside. Parental reflective functioning has been significantly associated with better quality of caregiving, parental satisfaction, secure attachment and positive child well-being . It is a particularly important skill to have when working with children who have been traumatized. This presentation will include a brief introduction to mentalization, how it relates to attachment and how it can help regulate and calm children’s emotions and behaviors. 

Presenter’s bio:

Tina Adkins, MA, PhD is a Research Assistant Professor and a practicing psychotherapist in Austin, Texas. She is also a Research Fellow with the International Psychoanalytic Association and Director of the Sue Fairbanks Psychoanalytic Academy at University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Adkins started her career in Child Protective Services and has 25 years of experience in the field of child welfare, providing clinical services, trainings and conducting research related to attachment, family trauma and emotionally/behaviorally challenged children.