CATOM
Get to Know CAToM
Why Center for Applied Theory of Mind?
Our name reflects how we approach one of the most fundamental challenges of human life: understanding other minds.
Center reflects our role as a place where ideas, people, research, and practical work come together around a shared challenge. We bring different perspectives into conversation and create a space for developing understanding that can be put to use.
Applied reflects our commitment to moving beyond theories. We take what we learn about how people understand one another and turn it into tools, practices, and interventions that can make a difference in the real world.
Theory of Mind gives us a rigorous way to think about the problem. It refers to our ability to recognize that other people have minds of their own—their beliefs, intentions, emotions, assumptions, perspectives, and knowledge may differ from ours. Crucially, it also reminds us that our understanding of another person is always a model: something we can test, question, and revise.
In the core, our approach is not about becoming nicer observers of people, but about becoming better thinkers about minds. We explore how our minds shape how we see others, how other minds shape our own perspectives, and how context shapes the interaction between them. We seek to understand these dynamics not simply to become more empathetic, but to think, communicate, collaborate, and act more intelligently.
It is a precondition for acting intelligently in a world inhabited by other minds.
Our CAToM Framework, together with our related products and programs are designed to help individuals and organizations develop their ability to:
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understand the mental states behind behavior;
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distinguish observation from interpretation;
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recognize assumptions and test alternative explanations;
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understand how beliefs, intentions, emotions, knowledge and goals influence behavior;
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anticipate how people may respond to situations;
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understand their own reactions and behavioral patterns;
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make better social and personal decisions;
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navigate ambiguity, disagreement, and conflict;
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communicate with greater precision;
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develop more effective leadership and collaboration;
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recognize how stress and arousal affect thinking;
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strengthen agency and empowerment; and
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develop people's and organizations' ability to think more effectively about people and relationships.
The objective is not to teach people to “read minds.”It is to help them reason better about minds.
Get to Know the Founder
Anique van der Putten is a practicing psychologist and the founder of the Center for Applied Theory of Mind. Her work focuses on translating psychological concepts such as theory of mind and mentalization into practical applications that help people better understand themselves and others, improve performance and strengthen well-being.
The work of the Center for Applied Theory of Mind grew from a lifelong fascination with how minds shape behavior—and how behavior, in turn, shapes relationships, organizations and the world around us.
Her path to this work has been anything but linear. It has brought together psychology, organizational leadership, business, international experience, and years of observing human behavior in situations where the stakes are real.
From the Netherlands to Kenya, India and Portugal, she has worked across cultures, organizations, and very different social environments.
CAToM grew from bringing these perspectives together.
The result is an approach to mentalization that moves beyond theory and clinical practice into everyday interpersonal challenges, relationships, professional life and organizations—where understanding minds can change how people communicate, lead, collaborate, make decisions and act.
A Personal Note
Thank you for visiting our website,
My aim is to help people recognize their own mentalization strengths, understand where they can grow, and become more skilled at taking, gaining, shifting and shaping perspectives.
Because when we better understand what happens in our own minds and in the minds of others, we create the possibility for more meaningful interactions and more effective action.
I invite you to explore mentalization not only as a theory, but as a skill—one that can be practiced, strengthened and mastered.
Stay curious,
Anique van der Putten
Learn More About Mentalization
You can learn about mentalization by watching the introductory videos we have provided. Additionally, our publications include real-life examples of how mentalization is applied.
