Abstract
Richard Billow’s review of relational group psychotherapy has been divided into three parts, on account of its length, but it is really an organic whole. It is a valuable summary of his theoretical and technical position on group psychotherapy, but it differs significantly from that of group analysis, since it is more psychoanalytic than group-analytic. The main difference is that the author conceives the conductor as a leader and advocates the need for his constant presence from a central position. Group analysis, instead, poses that the conductor should strive to leave his initial central position and help the group to become group-centred and take over the functions he initially performed. The conductor in group analysis is not a leader, but a guide, a coach, or a midwife who accompanies and cares for a natural process. These differences in conception and overall strategy are extensively discussed. Nonetheless, Billow’s presentation has many valuable contributions on the technical level.
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