Group Analysis
Psychiatrist and psychoanalyst S.H Foulkes, the founder of group analysis, reasoned that as one’s difficulties arise in groups, then these difficulties are best explored, understood and changed in a group.
Every one of us has lived in groups of one kind or another. We are born into families, go to school, work, are members of a societies and cultures. Group analysis is rooted in psychoanalysis, psychology and systems theory. It focuses on the challenges of being oneself in the presence of others and aims to free up patterns of past behaviours which reproduce themselves in the present, in the group.
A typical group consists of around eight to 12 people, meeting for 90 minutes per session, once or twice weekly. Groups are mixed in age and gender although some single sex, young or older people groups are available.
You would likely initially meet one-to-one with a group analyst to discuss the group and the possibility of your joining the group. S/he might offer individual treatment in preparation. Group meetings are confidential and members are asked not to meet each other outside of the group.
Group analysis is not a quick fix. You would be in the group upwards of a year. It takes time, as you’d expect for members to see themselves through the eyes of others and gain new insights about themselves and others.
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Who benefits from group analysis?
Group analysis helps a variety of problems and life situations including interpersonal and relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, trauma, abuse, bereavement and loss, work stress, eating disorders, addictions, psychosomatic conditions, loneliness.
A group like this offers the opportunity to understand and come to terms with issues of identity: ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation and gender.
Furthermore, it enables group members to develop their creativity, in their work and in their life.
Training as a group analyst or therapist
Institute of Group Analysis (IGA)
Offers a range of courses, including:
- Foundation Course: A standalone course or prerequisite for the IGA Diploma in Groupwork Practice and the Qualifying Course in Group Analysis
- Diploma in Groupwork Practice: An advanced introduction to the Group Analytic approach to group work
- Qualifying Course in Group Analysis: A full professional training in group analytic psychotherapy
Group Analysis South West (GASW)
A charitable organisation that offers a range of training courses, including:
- Introductory Course to Group Analysis: A year-long course that is an entry requirement for GASW's Diploma and Qualifying Courses
- Diploma in the Application of Group-analytic Principles: A year-long course that qualifies graduates to undertake group work in an agency setting
- Qualifying Course in Group Analysis: A four-year part-time course that leads to qualification as a Group Analyst and full membership of GASW
- Foundation Course in Group Work: An online course that provides an introduction to groupwork skills and the theory of group analysis
Offers various courses to train as a gestalt group work facilitator
Relevant associations
Last updated October 2024
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