“This book offers a truly thrilling experience for those interested in wanting to know how Group Analysis can benefit from mentalization theories. It dives deep into different theoretical contexts, showing how they all have contributed to the development of mentalization concepts that can enrich and expand group analysis in theory and practice. A book that finally can explain, why mentalization concepts are absolutely necessary, if Group Analysis wants to grow and catch up with modern times.”- Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Rohr, Philipps-Universität Marburg/Germany, training group analyst and international consultant“This book, by one of the foremost pioneers of mentalizing, offers a magisterial account of the centrality of group processes in mentalization-based therapy. It builds a brilliant bridge between group analysis and mentalizing, showing with great clarity how the recovery of mentalizing depends not only on the individual but on the shared experience of the group, and how theories of social communication are integral to our understanding of mentalizing itself. Extending the discourse from Freud and Foulkes to modern group analysis to social ontology, the author provides profound insights into the mentalizing processes of groups while never losing sight of clinical relevance. This is a remarkable achievement: a work of deep scholarship that will also transform everyday therapeutic practice.” - Professor Peter Fonagy CBE FMedSci FBA FAcSS; Head of the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences National Clinical Advisor on Children’s Mental Health, NHS England, University College, London“This book by Sigmund Karterud makes an outstanding contribution to both the theory and practice of group psychotherapy. By bringing together the concepts of mentalization and group analysis, Karterud offers a fresh, integrative framework that deepens our understanding of how groups foster self-reflection, empathy, and interpersonal learning. With clinical wisdom and theoretical clarity, he demonstrates how mentalizing processes unfold within group dynamics and how therapists can cultivate them to enhance therapeutic effectiveness. This volume is essential reading not only for group analysts but also for all psychotherapists who wish to better grasp the relational mind and the transformative potential of groups.” - Haim Weinberg, PhD, licensed psychologist and group analyst. Sacramento Center for Psychotherapy.“While the volume as a whole is rooted in psychotherapy and mentalization-based treatment, its opening chapter makes a particularly significant contribution by situating groupanalysis within a broader social and organizational frame. In fact, Mentalizing and Group Analysis, is a landmark contribution that refreshes and repositions groupanalysis within the wider landscape of contemporary social and organizational life. By weaving together mentalization theory, linguistic philosophy, and groupanalytic tradition, Sigmund Karterud demonstrates how groups function not merely as therapeutic instruments but as living spaces where meaning, identity, and cooperation are continually negotiated. This perspective expands the value of groupanalysis beyond psychotherapy: it shows its relevance for understanding organizational cultures, intergroup tensions, and collective responses to uncertainty. At a time when institutions face profound challenges, this chapter provides an intellectual framework and a practical compass for fostering reflective, resilient, and genuinely communicative groups in professional and societal contexts.” - Roberta Mineo, Ph.D. Tenured academic, Department of Humanities, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy“Fascinating. In recent years, MBT has further distinguished itself by drawing upon diverse developmental sciences and cognitive neuroscience. Sigmund Karterud has developed his own distinctive work, focusing on MBT-G and seeking to discuss it integrally with Group Analysis. It is highly unique. The author's erudition enabled the discussion to encompass a broad range of fields, including philosophy and linguistics, rendering it incredibly rich. The co-authored work with Walter Stone, which discusses group through self-psychology theory, is impressive. There is the meticulous empirical research on MBT group, which contributes to clarifying MBT-G's significance. Then he sheds new light on Group Analysis through MBT. Finally, the convergence of both strands successfully opens new horizons for group therapy. My respect to the authors.” - Kaoru Nishimura, Professor, International Christian University, Japan; Vice president, Japanese Association for Group Psychotherapy; Former Board Member, International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes (IAGP)“Bringing discussions on linguistics turn in philosophy, the dialectics between matter and mind, nature and culture, social ontology, as well as in classic and contemporary authors in psychoanalysis and group analysis, Sigmund Karterud brings an interesting dialogue between Mentalization-Based Group Therapy (MBT-G) and the theory and practice of group analysis. Through theoretical inputs and clinical vignettes, the book illustrates how MBT-G is a contemporary, relevant and effective contribution to group treatment of “patients difficult to reach”, especially patients with borderline and personality disorders. In this direction, the MBT-G theory and technique are a fundamental tool to face contemporary patients' mental health struggles.” - Carla Penna, PhD, psychoanalyst and group analyst in Brazil. She is a member of the Group Analytic Society International and IAGP. She is a former president of the Brazilian Association of Group Psychotherapy and a former Visiting Professor of Medical Psychology at the University State of Rio de Janeiro"Mentalizing and Group Analysis" by Sigmund Karterud is a landmark contribution to contemporary psychoanalytic and group analytic literature. This volume builds on the author’s extensive previous work in mentalization-based treatment (MBT-G) and classical group analysis, offering a rigorous and innovative integration of the two. What distinguishes this text is its depth of theoretical insight combined with an empirically grounded clinical vision that enhances the field’s capacity to treat increasingly complex psychopathologies. Karterud’s core thesis, that the capacity for mentalizing is not only an intrapsychic function but a deeply relational and group-dependent process, is as timely as it is necessary. The author presents a compelling argument that group analytic processes are inherently mentalizing when facilitated with clinical skill and theoretical awareness. The text re-centers the therapeutic group as a space for symbolization, co-construction of meaning, and affective transformation. This reconceptualization echoes the radical insights of S. H. Foulkes, extending them into a relational and linguistically attuned framework aligned with contemporary philosophy and social ontology. In an age of increasing fragmentation within the field, Karterud's synthesis bridges individual and collective dimensions of psychic life, offering a robust model that speaks to the “group mind” without falling into reification. His critique of outdated constructs, such as the traditional “group mind,” and his redefinition of the “group matrix” through the lens of intersubjectivity, language, and evolution, marks a crucial advancement in group analytic thought. Equally significant is the empirical grounding of the book. Drawing on published research and video discourse studies from actual group sessions,including work with borderline patients,Karterud demonstrates how theory can be meaningfully applied to clinical practice. His writing remains accessible without sacrificing intellectual rigor, making it an essential text for group analysts, relational psychoanalysts, and clinicians working with severe personality disorders. This book is not merely a commentary on existing paradigms; it is a bold proposal for the future of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. It invites the reader into a dialogical and evolving tradition of thought, one that honors its historical foundations while courageously stepping into new terrain. Mentalizing and Group Analysis deserves to become a foundational text in the training of group therapists, supervisors, and relational psychoanalytic scholars worldwide.” - Stavros Charalambides, CGP, MSc. Director, Institute for Relational & Group Psychotherapy
