ABSTRACT
The different names used for these sorts of meetings indicate some of the underlying assumptions. The request for a ‘sensitivity group’ tends to be based on the belief that ‘getting things out in the open’ is healthier than not doing so, and that becoming more aware of and sensitive to one another’s feelings will prevent these feelings from getting in the way of the work. Since members are usually anxious about exposing personal feelings and perhaps being attacked, an external person is often brought in to keep things safe. The term ‘support group’ bespeaks the hope of getting more support from colleagues, as well as from the consultant, so as to cope better with painful aspects of the work. ‘Staff dynamics group’ shifts the emphasis more towards the usefulness of learning to be aware of unconscious processes within the group, and between staff and clients.
