Malcolm Pines -- The Group-As-A-whole Approach in Foulksian Group Analytic Psychotherapy

8/16/2019 Malcolm Pines -- The Group-As-A-whole Approach in Foulksian Group Analytic Psychotherapy

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T H E G R O U P A S A W H O L E A P P R O A C H I N

F O U L K S I A N G R O U P A N A L Y T I C P S Y C H O T H E R A P Y

M a l c o l m P i n e s

The group analytic group-as-a-whole approach of Foulkes privileges

the concept of the group matrix. The term matrix is a metaphor for

the network of all individual mental processes, the psychological

med ium in which they meet, communicate, and interact. The de-

veloping group matrix acts both as a container and as a holding

environment for the psychic processes of the individual members in

the group context. The concept of coherency is evoked to describe the

process of the developing capacity of a group to be therapeutic. The

concept of coherency is applied both to conscious and to unconscious

mental process.

I s h a l l o r g a n i z e m y d i s c u s s i o n a r o u n d t h e t h e m e o f c o h e r e n c y , w h i c h I d e f i n e

a s t h e m e a n i n g f u l o r g a n i z a t i o n o f ~p a rt s t h a t m a k e a w h o l e . I h o p e t o m a k e

m y r e a s o n s f o r d o in g s o c le a r a n d t o s h o w t h a t t h e c o n c e p t o f c o h e r e n c y u n d e r -

l i n e s a n d i n f o r m s t h e c o n c e p t o f w h o l e n e s s , w h i c h i s i n t r i n s i c t o th e c o n c e p t

o f t h e g r o u p - a s - a - w h o l e .

P s y c h o d y n a m i c p r o c e ss e s re p r e s e n t e f fo r t t o m a k e t h e o r g a n i z at i o n o f t h e

p s y c h o t h e r a p e u t i c s i t u a t i o n m e a n i n g f u l , t h e r e f o r e c o h e re n t. W e t a k e a s o u r

d a t a t h e s e t - u p o f p a t i e n t a n d t h e r a p i s t .

I n p s y c h o a n a l y s i s t h e e n t e r p r i s e t o u n - c o v e r a n d d i s- c o v e r u n d e r l i n i n g m e a n -

i n g s i n t h e p s y c h o a n a l y t i c d i s c o u r s e p r o d u c e d b y t h e b a s i c ru l e o f f r e e a s so -

c i a ti o n i s g o v e r n e d b y a c o n v i c t i o n t h a t i t is p o s s ib l e t o r a i s e, a p p a r e n t l y a t

r a n d o m , a s s o c i a t i o n s o r i g i n a t i n g f r o m a d e e p e r l e v e l o f c o n s c i o u s n e ss , c l o se r

t o th e p r i m a r y p r o c e ss , t h a n t o t h e h i g h e r l e v e l s o f s e c o n d a r y p r o c e s s o r g a -

n i z a t io n , t h e r e f o r e o f c o h e r e n c y .

W e a s k o u r p a t i e n t s t o te l l u s t h e i r l i f e s t o ri e s , t h a t i s, w e j o i n t h e m i n a

n a r r a t i v e e n t e r p r i s e . W h e n t h e l i fe s t o r y o f t h e p a t i e n t f a i l s t o p r e s e n t a

m y s t e r i o u s i n c o h e r e n c e , F r e u d r e g a r d e d t h i s a s a s i g n t h a t t h e n e u r o t i c p r o c e s s

w a s n o t p r e s e n t . A s t h e r a p i s t s w e a s s u m e t h a t a p e r s o n ' s li fe h a s a s t o r y , t h a t

t h e n a r r a t i v e w i l l i n c l u d e b o t h t h e s e l f a n d s i g n i f i c a n t o t h e r s , t h a t t h e r e w i l l

b e b e g i n n i n g s , m i d d l e s a n d e n d i n g s , c a u s e s , s e q u e n c e s , a n d s o m e s e n s e o f

p u r p o s e. T h e d e f e n s e s o f o u r p a t i e n t s m a y r a n g e f r o m t h e p r e s e n t a t i o n t o u s

o f a n a p p a r e n t l y c o m p l e t e s t or y t h a t h a s t h e e ff e ct o f k n o c k i n g t h e b e g i n n i n g

o f a n e w s t o r y , t h e t h e r a p e u t i c e n t e r p r i s e ; o t h e r p a t i e n t s w i l l c o m e w i t h n o

Address correspondence to: Malcolm Pines, 1 Daleham Gardens, London NW3, 5BY, England.

212 / GROUP, Volume 13, Numbers 3 4, Fall /Winter, 1989 Brunner/Mazel , Inc.


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Group-as-a-Whole in Foulksian Group Analytic Psy chotherapy / 213

s t o r y a t a l l t o t e l l, a n d t h e n o u r t a s k i s to b r i n g t h e p e r s o n i n t o a p o s i t i o n o f

b e i n g a b l e t o t e l l a s t o r y , t o b e g i n t o p l a y , a s D o n a l d W i n n i c o t t p o i n t e d o u t .

O u r b e s t p a t i e n t s a r e t h o s e w h o b ri n g a n i n t e r e st i n g b u t m y s t e r i o u s s t o ry

w h i c h u n f o l d s s e s si o n b y s e ss i o n a n d w h i c h h o l d s t h e a t t e n t i o n b o t h o f p a t i e n t

a n d o f t h e r a p i s t a s w e s h a r e t h e d a r k n e s s o f t h e u n c o n s c i o u s p r o c e s s e s o f m i n d .

A g r e a t d e a l o f o u r c u r r e n t d i s c o u r s e c o n s i s ts o f m e t a p h o r s w h i c h , a c c o r d i n g

t o L a k o f f a n d J o h n s o n , a r e n o t m e r e l i n g u i st ic d e v i ce s. O u r h u m a n t h o u g h t

p r o c e s s e s a r e l a r g e l y m e t a p h o r i c a l ; t h e r e a r e m e t a p h o r s i n o u r c o n c e p t u a l

s y s t e m s a n d m e t a p h o r s b i n d e l e m e n t s i n to c o h e r e n t s y s te m s . T h e a s i f -n e s s

o f t h i n g s i s a k e y e l e m e n t o f o u r t h e r a p e u t i c e n d e a v o r , b u t t h r o u g h t h i s w e

a r e a b l e to m o v e w i t h o u r p a t i e n ts i n to a n e w m e n t a l s p a ce w h e r e t h e d y n a m i c s

o f t h e r a p y i n t e r m e s h w i t h t h e i n t e r n a l i z e d d y n a m i c s o f t h e p a t i e n t ' s l i f e d e -

v e l o p m e n t .

P r o g r e s s i n p s y c h o t h e r a p e u t i c t h e o r y i s f u n d a m e n t a l l y o u r c a p a c i ty t o d ev i s e

n e w m e t a p h o r s w h i c h w i ll ho l d a n d c o n t a i n o u r e x p er i en c e s a n d m a k e t h e m

i n t e l li g i b l e t o o u r p e e rs . E a c h n e w f ie l d o f e n d e a v o r b o t h b o r r o w s f r o m a

c u l t u r a l v e r n a c u l a r a n d a t t e m p t s t o b r e a t h e n e w l i fe i n to i t, t o s u i t i ts o w n

n e ed s . T h e p s y c h o a n a l y t i c p a r a d i g m w a s c o n s t r u c te d a t t h e t u r n o f t h e c e n t u r y

a n d w a s b a s e d o n e v o l u t i o n a r y , g e o lo g i ca l , a r c h a e o l o g ic a l a n d e n e r g i c p h y s i c a l

m e t a p h o r s . T h u s , t h e i n s t i n c t u a l f o rc e s, o r i g i n a t i n g i n t h e p r i m i t i v e l e v e l s o f

m i n d a n d o f l if e e x p e r i e n c e, e x e r t u p w a r d p r e s s u r e o n t h e h i g h e r l e v e l s o f

o r g a n i z a t io n , w h i c h r e s i s t t h i s u p s u r g e w i t h d o w n w a r d p r e ss u r e . T h e p s y c h i c

a p p a r a t u s i s o r g a n i z e d t o m a i n t a i n a lo w l e v e l o f m e n t a l s t i m u l a t i o n ; t h e

c u l t u r a l r e s t r a i n t s o f s o c i e ty b lo c k a g r a t if i c a t io n o f n a r c i s s is t i c a n d i n s t i n c t u a l

s a t i sf a c t i o n s , a n d t h e s e r e s t r a i n t s b e c o m e i n t e r n a l iz e d a s t h e s u p e r e go . T h e

s t r u g g l e t o c r e a t e n e w m e t a p h o r s m o r e c o n s o n a n t w i t h p r e s e n t d a y c o n c ep t s

o f t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n o f p s y c h i c l if e a c c o u n t s fo r t h e t u r m o i l w i t h i n p s y c h o a n -

a l y t i c t h e o r i z i n g .

P s y c h o a n a l y t i c t h e o r y h a s b e e n b a s e d o n R i c k m a n ' s o n e -b o d y p s y c h o lo g y to

a l a r g e e x t e n t . T h e a p p l i c a t i o n o f t h e s e c o n c e p t s t o t h e g r o u p f i e l d d id n o t

r e p r e s e n t t h e c o n c e p t u a l s h i f t t h a t w a s n e c e s s a r y t o g r a s p t h e n a t u r e o f t h e

n e w t h e r a p e u t i c s i t u a t io n o f a n u m b e r o f p e r s o n s m e e t i n g t o g e t h e r w i t h a

t h e r a p i s t , w h i c h w a s a n e w s o c ia l c o n t r i v a n c e. W h a t t h e p a r a d i g m s h i f t n e e d e d

w a s a f i e ld t h e o r y a n d t h i s c a m e f r o m g e s t a l t p s y c h o lo g y , p r i n c i p a l l y t h r o u g h

t h e w o r k o f K u r t L e w i n . G e s t a l t p s y c h o l o g y d e v e lo p e d to o p p o s e f a c u l t y p s y -

c h o l o g y a n d e m p h a s i z e d t h e w h o l e n e s s o f p e r c e p ti o n . L e w i n t r a n s p o s e d t h i s

a p p r o a c h t o p s y c h o l o g y o f t h e p e r s o n , t h e i n d i v i d u a l s i t u a t e d i n a n d m o v i n g

t h r o u g h a l i f e s p a c e , t h e p s y c h o l o g i c a l f i e l d w h e r e a l l p s y c h i c e v e n t s o c c u r .

T h e p e r s o n a n d t h e e n v i r o n m e n t a r e v i e w e d a s o n e c o n s t e ll a t i o n o f i n t e r d e -

p e n d e n t f a ct o rs . T h e S p a n i s h p h i l o s o p h e r O r t e g a y G a s s e t g i v e s a s a n a n s w e r

t o t h e q u e s t i o n W h o a m I? : I a m m y s e l f p l u s m y c i r cu m s t a n c e s . T h u s , m a n

i s s i t u a t e d i n h i s e n v i r o n m e n t , a n d t h a t w h i c h s t a n d s a r o u n d h i m , h i s c i rc u m -

s t a n c e s, a r e e s s e n t i a l t o a d y n a m i c s o c ia l p s y c h o l o g y t h a t s i t u a t e s t h e p e r s o n

f i r m l y i n h i s o r h e r e n v i r o n m e n t a n d t h a t w i l l n o t p e r f o r m t h e f a l l a c y o f a n

a r b i t r a r y d i v i s io n o f t h e e s s e n t i a l u n i t y t h a t i s m a n - i n - t h e - w o r l d .

T h e 1 9 2 0 s a n d 1 9 3 0 s s a w t h e r i s e o f s o c ia l a n d i n d u s t r i a l p s y c h o l o g y a n d

o f n e w a t t e m p t s t o c o n c e p t u a l i z e a n i n t e r p e r s o n a l p s y c h o l o g y t h a t c o u l d a c -

c o u n t a d e q u a t e l y f o r t h e c o m p l e x i t y o f h u m a n l if e i n h u m a n s o c ie t y . S o c i o lo g y

a n d a n t h r o p o l o g y m a t e d w i t h p s y c h o d y n a m i c s a n d p r o d u c e d a m u c h g r e a t e r

a p p r e c i a t i o n o f t h e c o ll o sa l fo r c es o f s o c i e ty t h a t p e n e t r a t e t h e i n d i v i d u a l t o

t h e v e r y c or e. W e c a m e to a p p r e c i a t e t h a t t h e W e s t e r n i n d i v i d u a l o f t h e 2 0 t h

c e n t u r y s i g n i f i c a n t l y d i f f e r s f r o m h i s a n c e s t o r s b e c a u s e h e is b o r n i n t o a d if -

f e r e n t s o c i o c u l tu r a l m a t r i x f r o m t h a t o f h i s f o r e fa t h e r s , f o r t h e s o c ia l m a t r i x


3/5

2 1 4 / G R O U P , V o l u m e 1 3 , N u m b e r s 3 4 , F a l l / W i n t e r 1 9 8 9

s t r u c t u r e s a n d m o u l d s t h e b a s i c d r i v e s f r o m c o n c ep t io n o n w a r d s . T h i s F o u l k e s

t e r m e d t h e F o u n d a t i o n M a t r i x .

T h e i m p o r t a n c e o f l a n g u a g e i n c a p t u r i n g e x p e r i e n c e a n d i n m a k i n g i t a v a i l-

a b l e f o r t h o u g h t a n d f o r s p e ec h i s a p s y c h o s o c i a l f a c t o r o f p r i m e s i g n i fi c a n c e

a n d n e e d s t o b e s e e n o n a p a r w i t h t h e s i g n if i c an c e o f b i o lo g i c a l c o n s t i t u ti o n .

T h i s i s e x p r e s s e d i n t h e S a p i r - W h o r f h y p o t h e s i s .

I n t h e s a m e e r a T r i g a n t B u r r o w b e g a n h i s l o n g o d y s s e y t o ex p l o r e a n d to

d e s c r i b e g r o u p p s y c h o l o g y a n d t h e s o ci al b a s i s o f c o n s c io u s n e s s. H i s w o r k i s

a l a r g e l y u n s e e n b a c k g r o u n d t o m u c h l a t e r w o r k i n so c ia l p s y c h o l o g y a n d

g r o u p p s y c h o t h e ra p y . B u r r o w ' s w o r k w a s k n o w n t o F o u l k e s , th r o u g h h i s w o r k

w i t h K u r t G o l d s t e in , a n d h e w a s a l so a w a r e o f K u r t L e w i n ' s a p p r o a c h . H o w -

e v e r , w e s h o u l d c r e d it F o u l k e s w i t h t h e m o s t o ri g i n a l a n d s t r i k i n g a r t i c u l a t i o n

o f t h e g r o u p - a s - a - w h o l e a p p r o a c h .

F o u l k e s ' d e f in i t i o n e n a b l e s u s to h o l d t h e b a c k g r o u n d / f o r e g r o u n d g e s t a l t

c o n c e p t t h a t b o t h i n d i v i d u a l a n d g r o u p , g r o u p a n d i n d i v i d u a l a r e r e p r e s e n t e d

i n t h e t h e r a p i s t ' s o b s e r v a t i o n a l f i el d . T h i s t h e r a p e u t i c a p p r o a c h i s a n a t u r a l

d e v e l o p m e n t f r o m a f o u n d a t i o n b o t h e m e r g i n g f r o m a n d i m b e d d e d w i t h i n a

m a t r i x .

T h e n e t w o r k o f a l l i n d i v i d u a l m e n t a l p r o c e ss e s , t h e p s y c h o l o g i c a l m e d i u m

i n w h i c h t h e y m e e t , c o m m u n i c a t e , a n d i n t e r a c t, c a n b e c a l le d t h e m a t r i x T h i s

o f c o u r s e is a c o n s t r u c t - - i n t h e s a m e w a y a s i s, f o r e x a m p l e , t h e c o n c e p t o f

t r af f ic , o r f o r t h a t m a t t e r o f m i n d . . . . T h e r e c a n b e n o q u e s t i o n o f a p r o b l e m

o f g r o u p v e r s u s i n d i v i d u a l , o r i n d i v i d u a l v e r s u s g r o u p . T h e s e a r e t w o a s p e c ts ,

t w o si d e s o f t h e s a m e co in . T h i s f u n d a m e n t a l a t t i t u d e m u s t a r i s e f ro m a n

i n t e g r a t e d i n t e l l e c t u a l a n d e m o t i o n a l a t t i t u d e , a c o n v ic t i o n b e s t o b t a i n e d i n

a g r o u p a n a l y t i c t r a i n i n g . T h i s w i l l g u i d e t h e t h e r a p i s t a n d w i l l e n a b l e h i m / h e r ,

a c t i n g a s g r o u p c o n d u c to r , t o t r u s t t h e g r o u p .

W h a t d o e s t h i s m e a n - - t o t r u s t t h e g r ou p ? T o m e , i t m e a n s t h a t I p r o f o u n d l y

b e l i e v e t h a t w h e n w o r k i n g w i t h a r e a s o n a b l y w e l l - s e le c t e d g r o u p , w e sh a l l

b o t h e x p l o r e a n d r e s o l v e w h a t e v e r d y n a m i c i s s u e s a r is e i n t h e c o u r s e o f g r o u p

d i s cu s s io n . O u r u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e a n a l y t i c g r o u p ' s c a p a c i t y t o a c c o m p l i s h

t h i s i s r e p r e s e n t e d i n F o u l k e s ' B a s i c L a w o f G r o u p D y n a m i c s .

T h e d e e p e s t r e a s o n w h y p a t i e n t s c a n re i n f o r c e e a c h o t h e r 's n o r m a l r e -

a c t i o n s a n d w e a r d o w n a n d c o r r e ct e a c h o t h e r' s n e u r o t i c r e a c t i o n s i s t h a t

co l l ec t i ve l y t h ey co n s t i t u t e t h e ve r y n o r m f r o m w h ich i n d i v id u a l l y t h ey

dev ia te

E a c h i n d i v i d u a l i s t o a l a r g e e x t e n t p a r t o f t h e g r o u p t o w h i c h

h e b e l o n g s a n d t h i s c o l l e c t i v e a s p e c t p e r m e a t e s a l l t h r o u g h t o h i s v e r y

c o re . In s o m u c h t h a t h e d e v i a t e s f r o m t h e n o r m o f h i s g r o u p h e i s a

v a r i a n t o f i t a n d i t is t h i s v e r y d e v i a t i o n t h a t m a k e s h i m i n t o a u n i q u e

i n d i v i d u a l. T h u s , w i t h i n a g ro u p , i n d i v i d u a l i t y m a n i f e s t s i t s e l f a s v a ri -

a t i o n s u p o n a c o m m o n g r o u n d . T h e s o u n d p a r t o f i n d i v i d u a l i t y i s b o t h

s u p p o r t e d i n a g r o u p , a n d , a s a t h e r a p e u t i c c u l t u r e d e v e l o p s , t h e f u r t h e r

g r o w t h o f h e a l t h y i n d i v i d u a li t y i s a p p r o v e d a n d s u p p o r t e d b y t h e g r o u p

a s a w h o l e . N e u r o t i c p r o c e s s es , t h a t i s s y m p t o m s a n d n e u r o t i c a s p e c t s o f

i n d i v id u a l i t y , d i m i n i s h a s t h e i r i n d i v id u a l m e a n i n g s b e c o m e c o m m u n i -

c a t e d a n d u n d e rs t o o d , b o t h b y t h e p a t i e n t a n d b y th e o t h e r m e m b e r s o f

t he g r o u p . . .

T h e g r o u p c a n o n l y g r o w b y w h a t i t c a n s h a r e a n d o n l y s h a r e w h a t i t

c a n c o m m u n i c a t e a n d o n l y c o m m u n i c a te b y w h a t it h a s in c o m m o n ,

e .g ., i n l a n g u a g e , t h a t i s, o n t h e b a s i s o f t h e c o m m u n i t y a t l a rg e . I n t h a t

s e n s e g r o u p t r e a t m e n t m e a n s a p p l y i n g c o m m o n s e n s e - - a se n s e o f t h e


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Group-as-a-Whole in Foulksian Group AnalyticPsychotherapy 215

community--to a problem by letting all those openly participate in its

attempte d solution who are in fact involved in it.

In the language of information theory when individual organisms come to-

gether to form a group we have a vastly enriched informational structure. It

is through this t hat the group develops the capacity to achieve new and hig her

levels of integration and differentiation greate r than tha t of the ord inary

individual especially if he/she is held together by neurotic structures th at

resist change by repelling new information. In the group analytic situation

neurotic structures can be seen as obstacles to the development of new and

progressive forms and levels of communication. Defensive maneuvers show as

figures against the ground of the group dynamic matrix which essentially

deepens and enriches the personal experience of the individual group members.

Rationalization denial projection and repression become clear to the othe r

group members because they impinge on their personal relationships with

each other and can be seen to affect the group process. Resistances to self-

under standi ng are greater than resistances to under standi ng others for we

are less threatened by their conflicts and better able to perceive them. Thus

each person inevitably takes a part in the evolution of group life which

hopefully widens the range of under standi ng of each person through the much

greater and wider range of information that is available to the group-as-a-

whole. The group process shows a rhythm and polarity between integration

and differentiation. Differentiation arises through the uniqueness of individ-

uals integration through their commonality. The integration that comes about

throug h the working through of diversity and conflict represents the achieve-

ment of coherency and the experience of working toward and achieving this

coherency becomes laid down in t he dynamic group matrix . We can conceive

of the coherency tha t is reached through t he work of the group and the con-

ductor for instance by the recognition of common group themes as raising

the level of under standing and adaptation to a higher common denominator

tha n tha t which would be achieved were a therapeutic atti tude absent. This

therapeu tic attitude must constantly come from the conductor but very im-

portant contributions to it will come from the group members.

A basic function of the group-as-a-whole is to hold and contain psychic proc-

es se s- th e thoughts feelings and attitudes of its members-- which appear as

foreground against the background of the group situation. Holding and con-

taining are valuable metaphors which have only entered into our terminology

compara tively recently as we have widened and deepened our knowledge both

of the therapeutic situation and of psychic development in infancy. We use

these metaphors to describe and to unders tand basic mate rna l functions. Hold-

ing comes from Winnicott for whom holding is the basis for becoming a se lf

experiencing thing and reliable holding has to be a feature of the environment

for the going-on-being of the infant. The environment environmental mother

and object mother provide a continuation of physiological provisions of the

prenatal state. The mother has to manage the extrauterine matrix and un-

derst and the needs of the infan t both physiological and psychological and

provide both protection from physiological insult and from overstimulation

and the optimal stimulation that is needed for development. Mother is care-

giver and can be replaced by other caregivers but the basic requir ement s must

be met. Holding is a metaphor based on physical experiences that coherently

brings together a whole variety of mate rnal acts and attitudes.

The notion of containment comes from Wilfrid Bion whose model of the

container and the contained has extended our grasp of early mother/infant


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216 / GRO UP, Volume 13, Numbers 3 & 4, Fall/Winter 1989

r e l a t i o n s h i p s . T h e i n f a n t ' s p r i m i t i v e a f f ec t s a n d a n x i e t i e s a r e t a k e n i n, u n d e r -

s t o o d a n d d e a l t w i t h b y t h e c a r e g i v e r ' s i n t u i t i v e c a p a c i t ie s f o r c o n t a i n m e n t .

T h e p r o c e s s e s o f i n t u i t io n , e m p a t h y , a n d a c t i v e m i n i s t r a t i o n s c a n b e c h a r a c -

t e r is e d c o h e r e n t ly t h r o u g h t h e m e t a p h o r o f c o n t a i n m e n t . B o t h m o t h e r a n d

i n f a n t a r e c o n t a i n e r s o f p s y c h i c e v e n t s a n d p r o c e s s e s o f e x c h a n g e t a k e p l a c e

c o n t i n u a l l y b e t w e e n th e m , m o t h e r h a v i n g t h e c a p a c i ty to c o n t ai n a n d t o tr a n s -

f o r m p r i m i t i v e i n f a n t i le s t a t e s o f b e i n g a n d t o h a n d t h e m b a c k t o t h e i n f a n t

a t a h i g h e r l e v e l o f p r o c e s s a n d i n t e g r a t i o n . I n t h e g r o u p s i t u a t i o n , t h e s e a r e

t h e f u n c t i o n s o f t h e g r o u p - a s - a -w h o l e .

T h e r e i s a n e s s e n t i a l p a r a d o x i n t h e g r o u p s i t u a t io n . T h e s e b a s i c fu n c t i o n s

o f h o l d in g a n d c o n t a i n m e n t c o e x is t w i t h a c u l t u r e t h a t i s b a s e d o n a n a l y s i s

a n d t r a n s l a t i o n , w h i c h a r e s o p h i s t i c a t e d h i g h e r l e v e l s o f m e n t a l f u n c t i o n in g .

T h u s , t h e r e a r e i n h e r e n t c o n t r a d i c t i o n s i n t h e g r o u p s i t u a t i o n , a d e l ic a t e ,

s t a b l e y e t u n s t a b l e b a l a n c e t h a t h a s c o n s t a n t l y t o b e m o n i t o r e d a n d m a n a g e d .

E a r l y d e v e l o p m e n t a l p r o c e ss e s r e e n a c t e d i n th e g r o u p c a n b e he l d, c o n t a i n e d

a n d t o l e r a t e d a s t h e g r o u p c a n f u n c t i o n a t a h i g h e r l e v e l a n d i s a v a i l a b l e t o

t h e i n d i v id u a l s, o f t en m o r e a d e q u a t e l y a n d a p p r o p r i a t e l y t h a n w e r e t h e c o n -

t a i n e r s a n d h o l d e r s o f t h e p a t i e n t 's e a r l y e x p e ri e n es . T h u s t h e m e m b e r s d e v e l op

t h e i r c a p a c i t y to t h i n k i n t h e f a c e o f p a i n a n d t o t o l e r a t e a n d t o k n o w t h e

u n t h i n k a b l e .

S o f i n a l l y I c o m e to a n a t t e m p t t o d e fi n e th e g r o u p - a s - a - w h o l e i n g r o u p

a n a l y t i c t e r m s : I t i s th e b a s i c c o n c e pt u n d e r l y i n g t h e a p p r o a c h t o a g r o u p t h a t

m e e t s in a s t a n d a r d g r o u p a n a l y t i c s it u a t io n w h i c h p r i v il e g e s c o m m u n i c a t i o n

a n d i n w h i c h t h e th e r a p e u ti c a i m i s to e n a b le b o t h i n d i v i d u a l a n d g r o u p c o h -

e r e n c y t o e m e r g e o v e r t i m e a t b o t h c o n s c i o u s a n d u n c o n s c i o u s l e v e l s . I n c r e a s e d

u n c o n s c io u s c o h e re n c y r e p r e s e n t s t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t a n d e n r i c h m e n t o f t h e

g r o u p m a t r i x . T h e c o n s c i o u s c o h e r e n c y c o m e s a s a r e s u l t o f t h e w o r k i n g o u t

o f i n t e r p e r s o n a l i s s u e s t h a t a r i s e i n e v i t a b l y i n t h e g r o u p s i t u a t io n .

I h a v e w r i t t e n e l s e w h e r e a b o u t t h e p r i n c i p l e o f c o h e r e n c y a n d w i l l b r i e f l y

r e v i e w t h e m a i n i s s u e s . F r e u d d e s c r i b e d t h e e g o a s a c o h e r e n t o r g a n i s a t i o n

o f m e n t a l p r o c e s s e s . T h i s a p p l i e s b o t h a t t h e c o n sc i o u s a n d t h e u n c o n s c i o u s

l ev e ls . I t is L o e w a l d w h o h a s p o i n t e d o u t t h a t F r e u d m a k e s t h e i m p o r t a n t

d i s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n a c o h e r e n t u n c o n s c i o u s a n d t h e r e p r e s s e d u n c o n s c i o u s .

T h e u n c o n s c i o u s i s n o t a n a r e a o f c h a o s a n d i n c o h e r e n c y . T h o s e a t t r i b u t e s

b e l o n g to t h e r e p r e s s e d u n c o n s c i o u s b u t n o t a l l t h a t i s u n c o n s c i o u s i s r e p r e s s e d

a n d i n a n i n c o h e r e n t s t a t e . L o e w a l d m a i n t a i n s : ( a) W h a t i s i n t e r n a l i z e d b e -

c o m e s a n i n h e r e n t p a r t o f a c o h e r e n t e g o w h i c h h a s b o t h c o n s c i o u s a n d u n -

c o n s c i o u s a s p e c t s . ( b ) W h a t i s r e p r e s s e d i s s p l i t o f f i n t h e c o h e r e n t e g o . (c) W e

m u s t d i s t in g u i s h b e t w e e n t h e p r o c es s e s o f r e p r e s si o n a n d t h e p r o c e ss e s o f

i n t e r n a l i z a t io n . T h e l a t t e r a r e i n v o l v e d i n c r e a t i n g a n d i n c r e a s i n g t h e c o h e r e n t

i n t e g r a t i o n a n d o r g a n i z a t i o n o f t h e p s y c h e a s a w h o l e , w h e r e a s r e p r e s s i o n

w o r k s a g a i n s t s u c h c o h e r en t p sy c h i c o r g a n i z a ti o n b y m a i n t a i n i n g a s h a r e o f

p s y c h e p r o c e s s e s in a l e s s o r g a n i z e d , m o r e p r i m i t i v e s t a te .

T h e s e a r e t h e p r o c e s s e s w e i n c r e a s i n g l y r e c o g n iz e a r e i n v o l v e d i n i n f a n t

c a r e g i v e r t r a n s a c ti o n s a n d t h a t l a y d o w n t h e m a t r i x o f p e r s o n a l i t y a n d s o c i al

c a p a c i ty . T h e g r o u p - a s - a - w h o l e c o n c e p t p r e s a g e s t h e s e f i n d i n g s a n d e n c o u r a g e s

u s i n o u r s e a r c h t o e x t e n d a n d a m p l i f y t h e s t u d y o f t h e s e p r o c e s s e s b o t h i n

i n f a n c y a n d a t a l l d e v e l o p m e n t a l l e v e l s i n b o t h s o c ia l a n d i n d i v i d u a l p s y -

c h o l o g y .

Malcolm Pines -- The Group-As-A-whole Approach in Foulksian Group Analytic Psychotherapy

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Transcript of Malcolm Pines -- The Group-As-A-whole Approach in Foulksian Group Analytic Psychotherapy