The psychotic transference in groups

Abstract

We wish to present a study of psychotic transference in groups, following on from the work of W.R. Bion and Foulkes. We put forward the hypothesis that in the early stages of such a therapeutic group, group psychotic transference oscillates between expansive movements and restrictive movements. This will be expressed by a tendency of the patients to withdraw, either exclude himself, or engage in an undifferentiated way. To illustrate our premise, we will rely on the analysis of the early stages of a psychoanalytic psychodrama session conducted in a hospital unit. The results will enable us to rethink the therapeutic stakes for this type of treatment.

Twin phenomena during a transformation process

“…These dynamics are reminiscent of psychotic transference in groups as recently described by Vollon, Gimenez and Bonnet (2018) who see psychotic patients in a group ‘oscillating in their exchanges between a tendency towards withdrawal and exclusion, and a tendency towards fusional abandonment even undifferentiation’ (Vollon et al, 2018: 11).…”