From the Couch to the Circle

summary

From the Couch to the Circle explores group-analytic psychotherapy, focusing on how psychoanalytic ideas can be applied within a group rather than only in the traditional one-to-one therapeutic setting. Schlapobersky explains the theoretical foundations of group analysis and shows how relationships between group members, the therapist, and the group as a whole can contribute to psychological understanding and change. The book draws strongly on the tradition of S. H. Foulkes and also discusses other psychodynamic approaches to group therapy.

A major theme of the book is the dynamics of change within therapeutic groups. Schlapobersky uses clinical examples and descriptions of actual group experiences to explain concepts such as transference, countertransference, communication, group dynamics, and the relationship between individual and group processes. Overall, the book presents group psychotherapy as a space in which personal difficulties can be understood not only through the individual’s inner world but also through their relationships and interactions with others