Mirroring of Psychogenic Autistic Barriers and Neurotic Boundaries in Group Process

Bibliographic Data

ID14775613
AuthorsIvan Urlic (Group-Analytic Society London, corresponding author)
Year1999
Volume32
Issue4
Pages535-546
Publication date1999-12-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGroup Analysis (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0533-3164 • E-ISSN: 1461-717X
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0533316499324008
OpenAlexW1990412173
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited4

During a group psychotherapeutic process, many layers of inner and outer worlds are mirrored through constant interaction. The author follows up part of the group analysis of a small group of patients who, through projections and projective identifications, dreams and fantasies, slowly disclose their deep inner conflicts, up to the barriers that all of them avoid. `Going around' the projection of one patient opens a path through these psychogenic autistic encapsulations, enabling the whole group to develop the analysis of the group process. The author conceptualizes this situation as a phase preceded by high tensions and resistances and followed by new insights into the psychodynamics of each member and the group as a whole. Barriers are understood and well defended as nuclei of pregenital conflicts, disclosing early fixations, which imply autistic qualities, while neurotic `boundaries' are seen as conflictual lines against which one uses defence mechanisms, and which are generally more accessible to exposition and confrontation, and are of either oedipal or pre-oedipal origin

Art · Exposition (narrative · Group (periodic table · Mirroring · Neuroticism · Personality · Psychoanalysis · Psychodynamics · Psychogenic disease · Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research · Psychological Treatments and Disorders · Psychology · Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications · Social Psychology

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