Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast

What Is Reflective Functioning? Mentalization, Attachment Theory & RF Scoring with Dr. Miriam Steele

Freitag, 6. März 2026 · 1 h 26

MP3

Shownotes

In this episode, Dr. Puder hosts a conversation with Dr. Miriam Steele, a leading expert in reflective functioning (RF), mentalization, and attachment theory. They explore the origins of RF from the pioneering work of Peter Fonagy and John Bowlby in the London Parent-Child Project, its role in predicting secure attachments and sensitive parenting, and distinctions from empathy. Conversation topics include cutting-edge research on mentalization-based treatment (MBT) and transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) for borderline personality disorder (BPD) and eating disorders, therapist RF's impact on patient outcomes, body image representations, and smartphone effects on parent-child bonds.
By listening to this episode, you can earn 1.5 Psychiatry CME Credits.
Link to blog
Link to YouTube video (youtu.be/UxA_OiAGU50)
Main Attachment (mainattachment.org)

0:00 / 0:00