Group analysis

Group analysis is a special process psychoanalytically oriented group psychotherapy. Founding Fathers were Joseph H. Pratt, Trigant Burrow and Paul signs. The psychoanalyst Samuel Slavson in New York, SH Foulkes and Wilfred Bion, both in London have established this form of therapy institutionally and theoretically sound.

Foulkes was both by psychoanalysis as Gestalt psychology - and influenced and sociology - particularly through contact with Kurt Goldstein. One of his closest friends was the sociologist Norbert Elias. Other important influences were the psychoanalysts EJ Anthony, Lazell, Marsh, John Rickman and Louis turner.

Concept by Foulkes

Foulkes preferring to speak of Group Analytic Psychotherapy; nevertheless, the term group analysis to date has largely prevailed. The appropriate qualification in the psychotherapy law in Austria lead to the additional designation " group psychoanalysis " and is explicitly aligned with the classical psychoanalysis and the technique of free association. Foulkes developed his concept of group treatment in the 1940s in the military hospital Northfield, attended by John Rickman and Wilfred Bion had worked. He saw in the group analysis, a method for the study of group processes. He understood the group primarily as a reflection of society, its peculiarities, its contradictions and its conflicts. The mental disorders of individuals he understood as a result gone wrong social and interpersonal exchange processes. In other words, mental illness, the individual only in the context of its social development and environment are understandable, healing processes can by Foulkes only if we put these social conditions be integrated. This can be most effectively carried out in the psychotherapy group. He saw the group as a process constantly changing interactions of each group participant with each other, including the group leader. Foulkes spoke in this context of group matrix.

Quote

In his standard work of Analytical Psychotherapy Foulkes writes:

Each / r Individual inevitably brings his / her formative social experiences with the group, where these so recognizable, can be made understandable and corrected unfold again and. Foulkes has said that the group is developing a salutary influence by those standards intuitively lays, one of whom / which individuals differed individually. The strongest proliferation has found the groups (psycho ) analysis today in the German speaking countries and in the UK (group analysis).

Group Analytical treatment principles

Unlike other psychoanalytically oriented group process Foulkes sees the analytic function is not primarily in the hands of the group leader, but in those of the group. The essential psychoanalytic work is therefore done by the group. The function of the leader is to provide the framework for group work available and to provide for its maintenance. It is about the

• Outer frame - place, time, group composition, financial management, external security, etc. - as the
• Inner frame, i.e. Compliance with various group rules - such as confidentiality - preventing heavy destructive group processes, promotion of group analytic work atmosphere, etc.

As a second central task of the group analyst Foulkes looks simple terms improving communication. Disorder -related problems of communication hinder the productive course of the group session. By the group analyst turns to them when they occur, it improves the therapeutic function of the group. The better the group operates, the less important is the group leader. Foulkes defends himself strongly opposed to the (self-) overestimation of the group leader.

Group psychoanalysis in German-speaking

Main article: Göttingen Model

Franz Heigl and Annelise Heigl - Evers developed from 1967, the three-stage Göttingen model that comes mainly in the clinical application for approval. It stated that group phenomena and group services have significant influence on the activity of the therapist.

Main article: Altausseer model

1976, in Altausee (Salzkammergut ) - by Alice Ricciardi, Josef Shaked, Michael Hayne and Dieter Ohlmeier - self-awareness and training groups established in the analytical method. The International Association for Group Analysis, based in Bonn is the organizer of two workshops annually. In addition to Shaked and Hayne teach and guide groups there today also Jutta Menshik - Bendele, Mohammad Ebrahim Ardjomandi, Felix de Mendelssohn, Paul L. Janssen, Elizabeth Foulkes, Margaret Seidl, Ursula Volz, among others

1982 Seminar for group analysis Zurich ( SGAZ ) was founded. In three annual residential seminars a training for group analysis is offered. Is extended the offer through workshops introducing group analysis and the Postgraduate Seminar.

More group analytic institutes in the German-speaking area are the specialist section group psychoanalysis in ÖAGG in Vienna for Austria, the Institute of Group Analysis Heidelberg, the Institute for Therapeutic and Applied Analysis group in Münster, Berlin Institute of Group Analysis and the Analysis group seminars GRAS for Germany.

The German Society for group analysis and group psychotherapy ( D3G ) was founded in 2011.