Mentalization, emotion regulation, countertransference

Two psychodynamic treatments for children with externalizing behaviors are compared: Regulation-Focused Psychotherapy for Children with Externalizing Behaviors (RFP-C) and Mentalization Based Psychotherapy for Children (MBT-C). Although these two treatments encompass a variety of similar interventions, the treatments differ as follows: MBT-C primarily addresses the child’s subjective sense of self (social cognition system) whereas RFP-C primarily targets the child’s defenses against unpleasant emotions (implicit emotion regulation system). With both approaches, clinicians can manage their countertransference by using an active psychotherapeutic technique when working with children who exhibit externalizing behaviors.