Small, Large and Median Groups

Rachel Lenn, M.A., Ph.D., CGP, is a psychologist in private practice in Potomac, Maryland where she works with individuals, couples, families, and groups. She is also a consultant to government agencies, educational institutions and private corporations. She was a founding member of the Median Group at the Washington School of Psychiatry (2000-2006) following her completion of the National Group Psychotherapy Institute and Advanced Group Psychotherapy Program. She is a member of the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists, the American Group Psychotherapy Association and the American Psychological Association. She is an alumna of The Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, DC and a former board member of The Washington Society for Jungian Psychology. Karen Stefano, EdM, M.A., L.P.C., is a practicing psychotherapist and bioenergetic analyst. She is co-founder of DuVersity, a non-profit, educational organization through which she has convened Median Groups in the US, the UK, Mexico and China. She is a graduate of the Washington School of Psychiatry, National Group Psychotherapy Institute and the Analytic-Somatic Psychotherapy Program in Berkley, California. She is a member of the American and International Group Psychotherapy Associations and the American Counseling Association. She is also an artist and leads art therapy groups drawing on the synergy of group psychotherapy and expressive arts therapies. She is in private practice in Charles Town, West Virginia and works with individuals, couples, families and groups.

'Is there a difference between the dynamics of small, large, and median groups? Pat de Mare convinces us that there is. In this book, we follow how he developed his ideas about groups, starting from small groups at Northfield, moving to introducing large groups at the Group Analytic Society's conferences, and finally focusing on Median Groups - his truly creative invention. The editors of this book beautifully organised de Mare's writing and added illuminating introductions by people who knew him and followed his steps. Through their editing, the ideas and personality of a true pioneer of groups emerges.'- Haim Weinberg, PhD, International Program Director, The Professional School of Psychology, Sacramento, California'The editors of this remarkable book should be praised for the extraordinary idea of presenting Patrick de Mare, one of the most profound and original thinkers in the field of understanding groups and their dynamics. His ground-breaking professional activity is offered through the evolution of his ideas about small group, than large group, and finally the median group. The special value of this book is represented by the comments of his splendid collaborators and followers. This book is a "must" for all who are cultivating an interest in groups, especially in this era of globalisation.'- Professor Ivan Urlić, Medical School, University of Split, Croatia'Pat's work is ground-breaking and mind-blowing, considering its implications for the management of hatred in groups. In this marvel of a book, it is not just Pat's deeply felt scholarship and scholarly references, nor just the "Koinonic" experience awaiting the readers, but for a single, significant reframing of the understanding of the dynamics of aggression and hatred that might permanently change the practice of group.'- Yvonne Agazarian, EdD, FAPA, DFAGPA, CGP, clinical professor, Postdoctoral Program in Group Psychotherapy, Adelphi University, New York, from the Preface

• PREFACE by Yvonne Agazarian INTRODUCTION by Rachel Lenn and Karen Stefano PART I: SMALL GROUPS - Introduction to small groups by Malcolm Pines CHAPTER ONE - Some theoretical concepts in group analytic psychotherapy CHAPTER TWO - Michael Foulkes and the Northfield experiment CHAPTER THREE - Major Bion CHAPTER FOUR - Non-transference elements in group analytic psychotherapy PART II: LARGE GROUPS - Introduction to large groups by Lionel Kreeger CHAPTER FIVE - Large group psychotherapy: a suggested technique CHAPTER SIX - The politics of large groups CHAPTER SEVEN - Koinonia: a historical note CHAPTER EIGHT - Large group perspectives PART III: MEDIAN GROUPS - Introduction to median groups by Rocco Pisani CHAPTER NINE - The development of the median group CHAPTER TEN - The median group and the psyche CONTENTS CHAPTER ELEVEN - The median group CHAPTER TWELVE - The millennium and the median group CHAPTER THIRTEEN - The larger group as a meeting of minds: a philosophical understanding by Patrick de Mare and Roberto Schollberger EPILOGUE by Dick Blackwell ADDENDA AUTOBIOGRAPHY THE TECHNIQUE OF GROUP WORK by Basil Beaumont INDEX