ABSTRACT
Observing one of the groups he was invited to “take” by the Tavistock Clinic, Bion (1961) noticed an intense preoccupation with his personality, interpersonal skills, and fitness for leadership. This focus on the leader, he noted, was characteristic of most groups. The premise of the first section of this book is similar—regardless of the therapist’s theoretical orientation, level of activity, or attitudes about disclosure (among other factors), his or her (evolving) subjectivity continues to assert influence on almost every aspect of the therapeutic encounter. The chapter also provides an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book is based on a paper published in a special issue of the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy (IJGP) on the occasion of American Group Psychotherapy Association’s (AGPA’s) 75th anniversary. It tackles the challenges of working with therapists as patients or students.
