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In the past few years there has been a strong anti-analytic and anti-dynamic therapy trend in the group approach to the amelioration of human emotional problems.1 While there are a number of reasons for this phenomenon, two important factors are the extreme complexity of the dynamics of analytic group therapy and great technical difficulties involved in the effective leadership of analytic therapy groups. This paper presents a comprehensive view of the psychodynamics of analytic group psychotherapy in an attempt to clarify, organize, and illumine our thinking on this subject.
People come into therapy for many reasons, some healthy and others neurotic. Although the patients may be unclear about their goals, the therapist, as the constructive influence, who has brought the group together, must keep in mind three basic goals. First is the relief of suffering. Second is the constructive growth and development of the individual, who is encouraged to move toward greater realization of his potential as a complete human being. Third is the growth and evolution of the whole group toward being a more effectively functioning therapeutic agent.
Dynamics is the study of the forces operating in a field. Our field is the analytic therapy group of about eight or nine people brought together by a psychoanalytically trained therapist. What is psychoanalytic group therapy? It is a treatment modality that comprises at the least the following concepts and techniques. The process pays attention to and shows respect for unconscious forces and unconsciously motivated neurotic, compulsive drives. There is an awareness of psychic determinism. In other words, every behavioral action and emotional reaction has a cause, usually both interpersonal and intrapsychic. The analytic process should include the analysis of dreams, and this can be done quite profitably for the dreamer and the other group members in group therapy. Patients are guided toward the working through of problems. Although deep fe