The Group Analytic Model

Drawing upon psychoanalysis, sociology, and group dynamics, the basic clinical model of group analysis was first described by Foulkes (1948, 1964) and Foulkes and Anthony (1964): Four men and four women, plus the conductor, sit around a small table and engage in free-floating conversation for a 90-minute session once a week. Groups might meet more often and be supplemented by combined or conjoint therapy (Maratos, 2000). All group members actively engage in treatment processes, but the conductor is responsible for monitoring and maintaining the boundaries of the group and facilitating the processes of clarification, translation, and interpretation. The conductor should resist being tempted to give personal information to patients and should not violate the boundaries of the group in ways that impede the development of the group and the individuals within it (Sharpe, 2005). Further descriptions of this model can be found in Roberts and Pines (1991).