Leaders in mental health organizations play a crucial role not only in managing teams but also in fostering psychologically safe environments that support both staff well-being and client care. The ability to create a "holding environment", a space of emotional containment and trust, is vital for maintaining effective clinical practice and organizational health. However, mental health leaders often face unique stressors, from navigating high-stakes client situations to managing team dynamics, which can undermine their capacity to provide this critical support.
This presentation explores how mentalization, the process of understanding one's own and others' mental states, can strengthen leadership practices within mental health settings. Grounded in the Adaptive Mentalization-Based Integrative Treatment (AMBIT) framework, the session focuses on practical strategies for mental health leaders to foster a supportive, resilient workplace culture. Participants will learn how to address leadership challenges, such as responding to team members' emotional reactions to client crises, managing staff burnout, and guiding teams through moments of clinical uncertainty. Additionally, the session rethinks common leadership frustrations, like staff resistance to feedback or difficulty in handling complex client cases, through the lens of mentalization and holding.