In this article I develop an account of therapeutic change in terms of the dynamics of positioning within figurations. I argue that the concepts of ‘positioning’ and ‘figurations’ can be integrated to describe processes of change occurring both at the level of the group and of the individual. I propose that figurations in the group are mutative, provoking change in the individuals within them. I go on to suggest that the psyche is structured by relational positions and that as the individual is able to develop the capacity for increased positional flexibility within the matrix of the group, parallel changes occur in the patient’s internal world. This idea is considered in relation to Foulkes’ concept of ego training in action.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.