The Invisible Conductor

This unique book brings to light the multidimensional world of the human mind and psychotherapy through the dynamic interaction between a psychotherapist and their patients.

A psychotherapist trained in mentalization-based treatment embarks on an intensive collaboration with two young adults previously unknown to him. These young people feel trapped in a dead end: there is no future, and their entire lives appear to be under threat. Through detailed descriptions of therapeutic encounters and personal reflections, the psychotherapist illuminates what therapy is and how it may help shape these young people's ability to cope and find a path toward the future.

What does mentalization—the capacity to understand one's own and others' mental states, a cornerstone of mental health—truly mean? And can this capacity be developed in adulthood through psychotherapy? This book seeks to answer these important questions in a practical, experiential, and deeply interactive way.

Matti Keinänen is a Docent of Psychiatry at the University of Turku and of Clinical Psychology at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. He works as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, as well as a supervisor and trainer in psychotherapy. He has completed comprehensive training in mentalization-based treatment at the Anna Freud Centre in London and holds international certification both as a mentalization-based therapist and as a supervisor in this approach.

Matti Keinänen has co-authored several non-fiction psychotherapy books with his colleagues. His novel book The Invisible Conductor - My Year as a Psychotherapist aims to make the hidden world of the human mind and psychotherapy visible in a practical and accessible way.