Truth and falsity in group.
The universal tension and juxtaposition between truth seeking and truth evasion are explored in a contemporary relational context, drawing on Bion 's later ideas on group. Bion's key idea of "psi," or psychic evasiveness, refocuses group theory, supplementing intra- and inter-psychic perspectives with sociopolitical analysis. To some extent the psychotherapy group exists as a political "Establishment" and thus corresponds to psi. Using three illustrative case examples, the nature and nurture of truth evasion is considered, along with the purposes it serves and the forms it may take. The therapist must maintain a disruptive-creative influence on group process, but like other group members, he or she instead may accept and promote falsity. Whereas the therapist ensures the integrity of the culture, the members, and not solely the therapist, break up old relational patterns and experiment with new ones. Dynamic, evolving groups aid the leader in life-affirming truth-seeking, eventually challenging establishment tendencies and exposing falsity.
Billow
Richard M
RM
Postdoctoral Program in Group Psychotherapy, Derner Institute, Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, USA. RMBillow@hotmail.com
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D014342:Truth Disclosure