Peter Fonagy

Peter Fonagy, OBE, CBE, is a professor of contemporary psychoanalysis and developmental science and head of the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences at University College London. He is a training and supervising analyst in the British Psychoanalytical Society, working in both child and adult analysis. Fonagy's work integrates psychoanalysis, developmental psychology, attachment theory, and cognitive and affective neuroscience, focusing on evidence-based clinical approaches aligned with developments in research on psychopathology and psychotherapy. His clinical interests include borderline psychopathology, violence, and early attachment relationships.

Fonagy is recognized for pioneering the concept of mentalization, the human capacity to understand behavior in relation to mental states, and for developing this concept into a clinical framework. In the book "Affect Regulation, Mentalization and the Development of the Self," Fonagy and colleagues present a theory on how mentalization and affect regulation influence individual development. With Anthony Bateman, Fonagy co-authored "Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: Mentalization-Based Treatment," introducing Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) as an evidence-based psychological treatment for severe personality disorder. MBT is widely practiced in the UK, Europe, and the United States. Fonagy's research on epistemic trust has further expanded mentalization theory, offering a broader perspective on resilience and psychopathology.

Fonagy has published more than 500 scientific papers, 260 chapters, and authored or co-authored 19 books. His works, including "What Works for Whom" and "Affect Regulation, Mentalization and the Development of the Self," have received significant academic attention. He serves as senior national clinical adviser on children and young people's mental health for NHS England and program director of the UCL Partners Integrated Mental Health program. Fonagy has chaired national expert groups, including two NICE Guideline Development Groups on childhood and adolescent depression, and holds visiting professorships at Yale and Harvard Medical Schools. He also consults for the Child and Family Program at the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Fonagy's work extends beyond psychotherapy to advocate for social and political approaches to mental health, emphasizing collective responsibility in mental health care. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to psychoanalysis and clinical psychology and has received the Wiley Prize of the British Academy for Lifetime Achievements. Fonagy is a fellow of the British Academy, the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Academy of Social Sciences, and the American Association for Psychological Science, and holds honorary fellowship with the American College of Psychiatrists. He has received lifetime achievement awards from several professional associations, including the British Psychological Society, the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorder, and the World Association for Infant Mental Health, and was the first UK recipient of the Wiley Prize of the British Academy for Outstanding Achievements in Psychology by an international scholar. Fonagy's scholarship and commitment to advancing mental health care have established him as a leading figure in clinical psychology, psychoanalysis, and mental health policy.