Looking beyond ‘couple’: Exploring the relationship between co-conductors facilitating experiential groups for psychodynamic psychotherapy students

Abstract

The authors use the theoretical framework of group analysis to facilitate experiential small and median groups for students on trainings in individual psychodynamic psychotherapy. Even though in our many years of clinical and educative group practice it would usually be a definite no, the authors found themselves debating whether members who revealed they were a couple in the past could in fact be together in a group. This discussion prompted the authors to reflect closely on their co-facilitator relationship, causing them to consider what they understood by ‘couple’. It offered an opportunity (previously unconscious) to explore what they had experienced in group trainings and within their own group practice—that of the frequent binary fixing of conductors as male/female and heterosexual, and whether such fixing may be a defence by the group, including the group conductors, against allowing and exploring a more fluid, nuanced exploration of gender and sexuality. The authors propose that instead of small experiential groups, median groups may offer a richer opportunity for such exploration.