Dreams of Deceased Children and Countertransference in the Group Psychotherapy of Bereaved Mothers: Clinical Illustration

Abstract

This article presents, in the form of a clinical illustration, a therapeutic group of bereaved mothers with special reference to their dreams about their deceased children. The article presents descriptions of the emotions of these mothers and countertransference feelings, a topic that, to our knowledge, has not been frequently studied. The group was small, analytically oriented, slow-open, comprised of women bereaved by the death of a child, and conducted by a female therapist. Over more than three years, the group included 20 members in total. This article describes a number of dreams recorded during a period when the group included seven members. Dreams helped the group members access their emotional pain, helplessness, yearning for a relationship with the deceased, guilt, and feelings of survival guilt. The transference-countertransference relationships were characterized by holding. Countertransference feelings of helplessness predominated. The therapist and the group as a whole contained various emotions, allowing the group members to return to the normal mourning processes from the parallel encouragement of group development and interpersonal relationships.

The Impact of Dreams of the Deceased on Bereavement

“…15 Two small qualitative studies have found preliminary support for the use of dreams in group counseling with bereaved parents. 16,17 Discussing dreams was found to assist group participants in processing the emotions related to the loss of their child. These studies suggest that dreams, especially troubling ones, may warrant special attention in bereavement counseling.…”

Zločinac Ili Zaštitnik Ili Prorada Kroz Snove U Grupnoanalitičkoj Psihoterapiji

“…In group analysis, the group should make associations about the dream, which is different from dream analysis in individual therapy when details are sought and associations are strengthened. A dream is observed in the group like any other group material and is analyzed in the light of the "here and now" (17,18). In group analysis, as compared with psychoanalysis, completely different aspects of dreams can be viewed with regard to the different context in which they are presented (individual/group) (19).…”

“…u individualnoj terapiji kada se traže detalji i učvršćuju asocijacije. San se u grupi promatra kao i svaki drugi grupni materijal i analizira se u svjetlu situacije "ovdje i sada" (17,18). U grupnoj analizi, u odnosu na psihoanalizu, mogu se razmatrati sasvim različiti aspekti snova s obzirom na drukčiji kontekst u kojem se iznose (individualni/grupni) (19).…”