The article reviews Winnicott's concept of `holding' and its place in group analysis. Winnicott viewed holding in therapy as equivalent to the maternal function of holding the baby. This stance requires a more refined model, in which holding is viewed as an illusion that both participants need to acknowledge as such and that enables them to act upon each other in the potential space. This article examines the variations that inevitably exist in the amount and kind of holding that is needed in therapy, and the intersubjective movement towards the holding position during therapy.
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