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(Veteran's Administration, 49 4th St., San Francisco 3, Calif.)
Problems on deeper unconscious levels are not so different that they preclude mutual aid. The collective solution of individual conflicts can be of greater significance than the marked relief of tension and anxiety.
Participating at this particular session at the Seattle Guidance Clinic were five members undergoing group therapy at the Clinic for two one-hour sessions a week. Of these, three members were undergoing individual psychotherapy in additions.
The relationship of the five patients to their mothers stands in the center of the discussion on that particular day. This fact is not always immediately apparent from their verbal expressions which are intemingled with reference to girl-friends, cleanliness, making decisions, paying out money, woman's place in life and fear of losing one's individuality.
The session began by Mr. E. reporting impressions of his girl-friend handing him a letter from a boy-friend. He complained that she seemed “cold” and remarked sarcastically that this seemed to be the way a woman handles a man. Also, that there did not seem to be such a thing as love.
Mr. T.: Concurred with him and criticized Mr. E.'s girl-friend as “having bad taste”.
In reaction to this, Mr. E. started to defend his girl-friend describing her as an “A” student and mentioning twice that she was “a marvelous athlete.”
At this, Mr. E. went on to speak of his girl-friend, complaining that although in a way he is quite gratified to notice this amount of strength in his girl-friend (implying a feeling of security) he thought that a girl of this type “did not give him a chance to do anything for her”.