Learning from experience in case conference: a Bionian approach to teaching and consulting.

Full Abstract

In case conferences as well as didactic seminars, the power of the group can bring psychoanalytic education to life. However, primitive anxieties activated by group dynamics may also interfere with teaching and learning. The authors offer the example of a stalemated private practice case conference that had unconsciously organized against learning as the members began to read Bion's work. The case conference leader, an analyst, presented her case conference, which was mired in basic assumption dependency dynamics, to our peer consultation group. Drawing upon Bion's early contributions on groups, as well as his later ideas about thinking and mental growth, the peer group facilitated the case conference's return to work-group functioning and learning from experience. Activated in the peer group, commensal container<--> contained processes gradually spread throughout the entire relational system of peer group, case-conference leader, case-conference members, and patients. This example underscores the importance of promoting within our institutes a culture in which faculty view themselves as part of an evolving intersubjective matrix that works to foster the containing capacities of candidates, patients, and faculty alike.

Author information

Author/s: Burka, Jane B (JB); Sarnat, Joan E (JE); St John, Cornelia (C);

Affiliation: JaneBelle(-atsign-)sbcglobal.net

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Conference; Journal Article

Journal: The International journal of psycho-analysis (Int J Psychoanal), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Aug; vol 88 (issue Pt 4) : pp 981-1000

Dates: Created 2007/08/07; Completed 2007/09/11;

PMID: 17681903, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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