ABSTRACT
Group psychotherapy creates an arena in which the unconscious can come to life in the circle of exchange revealing many hidden features kept 'safely' out of consciousness by the guises and disguises of daily life. This chapter describes a thematic subject in the life of a group, in combination with the dynamics, the personal, interpersonal and transpersonal dynamics, that give rise to it. It deals with the group-analytic psychotherapy by making the work transparent and second by giving special attention to the place and responsibility of the conductor. Michael Foulkes described the group-analytic model as 'a form of psychotherapy by the group, of the group, including its conductor'. For mixed groups and in outpatient psychiatry and psychotherapy, Malcolm Pines and the author recommended that the criteria for selection should be exclusive rather than inclusive, as most people seeking psychotherapy can be accommodated in a group, providing a suitable one is available.
