Resistances to the Learning Process in Group Dynamics Programs
IRVING L. BERGER M.D.1
1 Associate visiting psychiatrist, Mt. Sinai Hospital, and consulting psychiatrist, Juvenile Court and Polyclinic Hospital, all in Cleveland, Ohio
Problems in teaching psychiatry and group psychotherapy in small groups vary with the type of setting, frequency and length of meetings, and specific goals of the group. Problems of dependency, oppositional patterns to the goals of the group, and development of mutual sharing are regularly noted phenomena. It is important that the leader distinguish between blocks in learning related to problems of initial dependency and anxieties about status and role, and those related specifically to learning.
