After five decades of practice, clinical psychologist Jon G. Allen has a striking message for our field. Working alongside Peter Fonagy and Anthony Bateman, he helped shape our understanding of the importance of mentalizing in psychotherapy. Today, he argues that the most transformative aspects of therapy are not found in treatment manuals but in the context of a trustworthy, caring relationship.

With the publication of his latest book, Bringing Psychotherapy to Life Through Caring Connections, Jon Allen returns to a fundamental truth: we matter to each other. He explores what he calls “the experience of feeling connected” – the embodied, felt sense of relationship that brings psychotherapy to life.

In this live online Legacy Interview, Jon Allen will reflect with his special guests Arietta Slade, Jeremy Holmes and Anthony Bateman on what truly transforms lives in therapy. Jane O’Rourke, psychotherapist and broadcaster, will guide this conversation between colleagues who have each shaped the fields of attachment theory, psychoanalysis and relational psychotherapy.