The actions of the group follow a circular as well as a mirroring movement, but may also be evidenced through a vertical movement of regressive immersion followed by an evolutive and transformative emergence. Regression on a level of primitive mental organizations generally starts after affective consent has been shown to what the patient has been telling about his or her psychosomatic symptoms. The author's main concerns are the quality of group interaction, primitive states of mind, the biological level of sensorial experiences and the possibility of the individual person working out affective experiences linked to somatic events which would other-wise be unthinkable.
Battegay, R.
(1992) `Projective Identification as a Regulator in the Group Process. The Three Levels of Interaction in Analytic Groups', Group Analysis, 25(1): 7-13.
2.
translation, Esperienze nei gruppi. Roma: A. Armando, 1971.
3.
translation, Analisi degli schizofrenici e metodo psicoanalitico. Rome: A. Armando, 1970.
4.
Brown, D.G.
(1985) `The Psychosoma and the Group', Group Analysis18(2): 93-101.
5.
Foulkes, S.H.
and Antony, E.J. (1957) Group Psychotherapy: The Psychoanalytic Approach. Harmondsworth: Penguin. Reprinted London: Karnac, 1984.
6.
Gaddini, E.
(1989) Scritti 1953-1985. Milan: Cortina.
7.
translation, Le relazioni oggettuali nella teorisa psicoanalitica. Bologna: I1 Mulino, 1986.
8.
Hearst, L.
(1986) `The Treatment of Psychosomatic Illnesses in Group-analytic Psychotherapy — Indications and Contra-Indications', Group Analysis19(3): 275-278.
9.
Horwitz, L.
(1985-6) `Il concetto del se nella teoria psicoanalitica e la sua rilevanza per la psicoterapia di gruppo', Rivista Italiana di gruppoanalisi1-2: 17-34.
10.
translation, Il Se e il mondo oggettuale. Florence: Martinelli, 1974.
11.
translation Vita e opere di Freud, 3 voll. Milan: Garzanti, 1977.
12.
translation, L'inconscio come insiemi infiniti. Saggio sulla bi-logica. Turin: Giulio Einaudi, 1981.
13.
Winnicott, D.W.
(1966) `The Psycho-Somatic Dilemma', International Journal of Psychoanalysis47: 510.
14.
translation, Teoria e pratica della psicoterapia di gruppo. Turin Boringhieri, 1977.
