II congreso MBT chile

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II INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
ON MENTALIZATION-BASED TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS AND FAMILIES
«The Ties That Bind: Culturally Sensitive Research and Intervention Practices»

We are pleased to invite you to the II International Congress on Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children, Adolescents and Families, which will take place in Santiago, Chile, on November 6, 7, and 8, 2025.

The first edition of this congress was successfully held in Barcelona in 2023, organized by the Mentalization Applications Center, IMAGINA, the Vidal i Barraquer University Institute of Mental Health at Ramon Llull University, and the Anna Freud Center.

This new edition is organized through a collaboration between Diego Portales University, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, University of Valparaíso, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, the NGO Paicabi Corporation for the Promotion and Support of Childhood, and MIDAP (Millennium Institute for Research on Depression and Personality). Additionally, it is supported by IMAGINA, the Mentalization Applications Center, and the Anna Freud Center.

PURPOSE

This congress aims to bring together contributions from mentalization-based theory (MBT) and attachment theory in the care of children, adolescents, families, and various social contexts. It will include perspectives from clinical and psychosocial practice as well as research. Speakers will share their findings, reflections, and future perspectives on the prevention, promotion, and treatment of child and adolescent mental health.

Mentalization-based models designed for these populations reflect the maturity of mentalization-based psychotherapy for adults, developed since the 1990s by Peter Fonagy, Anthony Bateman, and Mary Target, among others.

Our main objective is to disseminate and generate a critical mass of knowledge on mentalization-based and mentalization-informed interventions for children, adolescents, families, and social contexts, with the goal of facilitating and furthering their development and implementation in Latin America and worldwide.

This also involves recognizing the diversity of cultural, social, and economic contexts in which mental health care is provided, valuing the experiences of different social and professional groups, respecting local knowledge, and fostering mutual enrichment in the understanding and practice of child and adolescent clinical work.

We warmly welcome you and hope this space for exchange will be a significant contribution to the professional, academic, and clinical community!

HISTORY

The International Congress on Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children, Adolescents, and Families (MBT-C, A & F) was first held on June 29-30, 2023, in Barcelona, bringing together more than 300 professionals from 27 countries.

This event was organized by IMAGINA – Mentalization Applications Center and the Vidal i Barraquer University Institute of Mental Health (Ramon Llull University), in collaboration with the Anna Freud Center. Over the course of two days, participants engaged in lectures, discussion panels, and interactive sessions with leading international experts in MBT-C, A & F clinical practice and research. The scientific quality was exceptional, and the atmosphere was deeply collaborative and enriching.

It was at the closing dinner of that first congress that Peter Fonagy proposed making this event biennial, aiming to continue promoting the development and dissemination of mentalization-based interventions for children, adolescents, families, and social contexts.

These models reflect the maturity achieved by mentalization-based psychotherapy for adults, developed since the 1990s by Peter Fonagy, Anthony Bateman, Mary Target, and other leading researchers and clinicians. Today, MBT for children and families is emerging as a fertile field for clinical development, research, and interdisciplinary innovation.

With this spirit, the Second International Congress on MBT-C, A & F is launched, serving as a space for continuity, growth, and shared advancement.

OUR TEAM

The International Congress on MBT-C, A & F is an interdisciplinary initiative organized by academics, clinicians, and civil society professionals in Chile, with strong support from international experts. The goal is to create a platform for the development, discussion, and dissemination of Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) models focused on children, adolescents, families, and social contexts.

This congress aims to bridge clinical and psychosocial practice, research, and public policies in child and adolescent mental health, promoting approaches centered on their well-being. It also seeks to strengthen regional and international collaboration networks to address current challenges in therapeutic work with children and families.

It is particularly aimed at professionals from various disciplines interested in deepening and expanding the use of MBT models in clinical, community, and academic contexts. The event will be held in Santiago, Chile. The organizing team is composed of:

National:

Stefanella Costa-Cordella, PhD: Clinical child psychologist, professor at the Faculty of Psychology at Diego Portales University, and research leader at CIC SolasOxford. She holds a PhD in Psychoanalytic Studies from University College London and the Anna Freud Center and leads multiple government-funded projects in Chile.

Fanny Leyton Alvarez, MD, PhD: Adult psychiatrist and professor at the University of Valparaíso. Faculty member in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry training program. Trained in mentalization-based therapies at the Anna Freud Center. Professor and supervisor of Video Intervention Therapy (VIT).

Paula Lobos Sucarrat, MBPsS: Psychologist, specialist in learning difficulties, and MBT-A supervisor at the Anna Freud Center. Head of Technical Advisory at NGO Paicabi, with extensive clinical, psychosocial, and educational experience in sexual violence contexts.

Javier Antonio Morán Kneer, PhD: Clinical psychologist, full professor at the University of Valparaíso, and MBT-F supervisor. Researcher in child and adolescent mental health, attachment, and MBT, with experience in studies involving adolescents and university students.

Marcia Olhaberry Huber, PhD: Psychologist specialized in perinatal contexts and early childhood mental health. Associate Professor at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Principal Investigator at MIDAP (Millennium Institute for Research on Depression and Personality). MBT-C supervisor at the Anna Freud Center.

Edgardo Toro Quezada, PhD: Social worker and associate professor at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. Specialist in childhood, family, and sexual violence, with a focus on child sexual exploitation and online violence. Trained in mentalization-based approaches at the Anna Freud Center.

International:

Mark Dangerfield, PhD: Clinical Psychologist. Director of the Vidal i Barraquer University Institute of Mental Health at Ramon Llull University in Barcelona, Spain. He is an accredited trainer and supervisor in AMBIT and MBT-A by the Anna Freud.

Norka T. Malberg, PsyD: Certified child psychoanalyst and assistant clinical professor at the Yale Child Study Center. Developer, trainer, and supervisor in MBT for children, adolescents, and families at the Anna Freud Center. Founder and director of IMAGINA – Mentalization Applications Center.

Organizing Team

Stefanella Costa-Cordella, PhD

President

Child clinical psychologist, professor at the Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Diego Portales, and research lead at CIC SolasOxford. PhD in Psychoanalytic Studies from University College London and the Anna Freud Centre, UK.

Marcia Olhaberry Huber, PhD

President

Psychologist specialized in perinatal contexts and early childhood. Associate Professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Principal Investigator at the Millennium Institute for Research in Depression and Personality (MIDAP). MBT-C Supervisor at the Anna Freud Centre.

Fanny Leyton Alvarez, MD, PhD

Organizing Committee

Adult psychiatrist and full professor at the Universidad de Valparaíso. Lecturer in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry training program. Trained in mentalization-based therapies at the Anna Freud Centre. Teacher and supervisor of Video Intervention Therapy (VIT).

Paula Lobos Sucarrat, MD

Organizing Committee

Psychologist, lecturer specialized in specific learning difficulties, and MBT-A supervisor at the Anna Freud Centre. Head of Technical Advisory at NGO Paicabi, with extensive clinical, psychosocial, and training experience in contexts of sexual violence.

Javier Antonio Morán Kneer, PhD

Organizing Committee

Clinical psychologist, full professor at the Universidad de Valparaíso, and MBT-F supervisor. Researcher in child and adolescent mental health, attachment, and MBT, with experience in studies involving adolescents and university students.

Edgardo Toro Quezada, PhD

Organizing Committee

Social worker and associate professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. Specialist in childhood, family, and sexual violence, with a focus on child sexual exploitation and online violence. Trained in mentalization at the Anna Freud Centre. Author and editor on these topics.

Mark Dangerfield, PhD

Academic Committee

PhD in Psychology and Clinical Psychologist. Director of the Vidal i Barraquer University Institute of Mental Health at Universidad Ramon Llull in Barcelona, Spain. Accredited trainer and supervisor in AMBIT and MBT-A at the Anna Freud Centre in London.

Norka T. Malberg, PsyD

Academic Committee

Certified child psychoanalyst and assistant clinical professor at the Yale Child Study Center. Creator, trainer, and supervisor in MBT for children, adolescents, and families at the Anna Freud Centre. Manager and director of IMAGINA, a Center for Mentalization Applications.

Joan Lewin Levy

Coordination Assistant

Child and adolescent clinical psychologist from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Master’s student in Clinical Psychology at the same institution. Holder of a Diploma in Psychopathology of the Attachment and Child-Adolescent Psychotherapy. Contributor to university teaching.