On Working With Opaque Silence in Group Psychotherapy

Abstract

This article explores the phenomenon of what I have termed opaque silence in groups—silence which is particularly impenetrable. It is argued that this silence has its origins in traumatic experience and the manifestation in the unconscious life of the group of the basic assumption (ba): Incohesion: Aggregation/Massification as described by Hopper (1997; 2003; 2012). A description of the phenomena associated with opaque silence is given, and their relationship to Hopper’s theory. A clinical vignette is provided that demonstrates the manifestation of opaque silence in a group of adolescent patients and how the author managed it. This is followed by a discussion of the application of the theory to clinical technique.