ABSTRACT

This chapter considers the potential for and process of learning in a work discussion seminar. The relationship between the seminar leader and the members of the group is at the heart of the learning experience. The material brought to the seminar is often profoundly painful and upsetting for both presenter and listeners. Insights gained about unconscious dynamics go beyond the particular presentation and its subject matter and allow members to have a memorable learning experience that can be applied to many other situations. The group’s realization of the major forces set loose by such tragedies made it possible for horizons to be broadened and other issues to be considered. The chapter concludes by commenting on what has emerged about the setting of the work discussion seminar, and particularly about the relationship between the seminar group and the seminar leader. The setting is, of course, very important, since it provides a foundation upon which learning can take place.