CENTER FOR APPLIED
THEORY OF MIND
PERSPECTIVE TAKING, GAINING, SHIFTING & SHAPING
When a human and a dog join in attention, they are able to read each other's intentions, to a certain extent. Whether a dog takes our mental states into consideration we can only speculate, but as humans, we definitely think about what is going on inside the minds of others.​​​​
This is called theory of mind reasoning, also known as mentalization, and it is this mentalizing ability that best captures what it is to be a sentient social human being. Mentalization is the most powerful social tool that we have at our disposal to understand ourselves and others.
WELCOME
How can CAToM support your growth today?
Psychology in Business and Beyond
The Center for Applied Theory of Mind (CAToM), for Healthier People and Smarter Organizations
In today’s fast-paced, socially complex work and life environments, having technical and practical skills isn’t enough. CAToM works with organizations and individuals to develop their "psychological infrastructure" helping individuals, leaders and teams understand themselves and one another better through the lens of mentalization: the ability to understand mental states that drive behavior. Establishing this foundation leads to better communication, more resilient teams and healthier relational dynamics.
Understanding yourself and others requires a true mentalistic approach, rather than relying on mental shortcuts, especially in situations that are confusing, ambivalent, or high-stakes. This means taking, gaining, shifting and shaping perspectives based on mental states such as desires, beliefs and intentions.
Mentalization helps to recognize that the perspectives of others can differ from our own, and that both can shape and be shaped. Mentalization gives us the powerful ability to accurately explain and predict behavior in ways that support effective action.
People often idolize quick decisions, boldness and strong emotion regulation. However, the ability to thoughtfully pauze and mentalize in advance is often the difference between impulsive behavior and masterful (inter)action. Mentalization regulates the reaction cycle, which may seem less sexy, but is much more powerful strategically.
You can train emotional and social intelligence and empathy expression pretty easily. Training mentalization — teaching people to accurately infer complex internal states — is much harder. Under high stress, trauma, or conflict, mentalization tends to break down (especially when emotions run high).
Our closest family members, friends and colleagues, tend to be people who have well developed mentalization skills.​
Diplomats, top negotiators and intelligence officers — they live and die by their mentalization abilities.
Skilled psychotherapists constantly mentalize about their clients, while at the same time enhancing their clients' ability to mentalize .
High-level political operatives — who have the ability to predict and shape public behavior over months or years — employ mentalization almost intuitively.​​
Mentalization offers another positive effect, it has the power to increase your appeal beyond physical appearance, wealth, or status. People are drawn to those who show a genuine interest in them, who listen to and validate their feelings, needs and beliefs without passing judgment, and to those who have a high level of self-awareness and authenticity. Mentalization increases trust, perceived integrity and competence.
Mentalization is one of the most valuable high-level human abilities. Without it, we fall back on mental shortcuts that often lead to bias and poor judgment. With it, we are better able to lead, negotiate, offer support and sustain meaningful friendships.
©2018-2025 Center for Applied Theory of Mind - info@appliedtom.com