Therapeutic groups and ideological groups; approach to a dialectical explanation.

Abstract

The problem of ideological groups has already been dealt with by Freud in “Psychology of the masses and Analysis of the Ego”, but without considering the ideological factor as the agglutinating force in the group. Some authors define what they understand to be an ideological group, therapeutic group, as well as the concept of group situation. They stress the fact
that therapeutic groups assume a contradictory and dialectic notion with regard to “nómicos” (“healthy”) groups. So that group therapeutists and sociologists are two complementary aspects of group analysts. One of the functions of group
therapeutists is te reintegrate groups of patients into “nómicos” groups. The therapeutic group situation shows two main characteristics: it is a bigroupal and uni-functional situation. The laten t aspiration of groups of patients
to identify themselves introjectively with the ideology of the therapeutists is considered to be the centripetal force which sustains cohesion of groups. This turns therapeutic groups into ideological ones. This is an attempt to characterize the two groups compesing the therapeutic gestalt (the group of patients and the group of therapeutists) and to study their dialectic inter-relationship. The group of therapeutists is considered as the bridge between the group of patients and the “healthy” social group. The need for ideologic cohesion among group therapeutists is stressed and an example is given of the consequences that lack of ideologic unity among the group therapeutists had en a therapeutic grou 
following: 1) possesion of a “utopic” ideology; 2) mental “health”; 3) good adaptation to society. Groups of patients would probably have contrary characteristics. The function of therapeutic groups would consist in solving the dialectic
contradiction in groups of patients, who feel to be depositaries of mental illnesses of society. Achievement depends en the possibility of introjecting the ideology of the therapeutists and then of realizing a synthesis with their own ideology so as to acquire a new ideology enabling the patients to reintegrate themselves in society. Thus it could be said that one of the mechanisms of cure in therapeutic groups is an “ideologic cure”. Finally some observations made in therapeutic groups are studied for further application to ideological “nómicos” groups. In the first place the phenomenon of division in groups, with regard to pathological dis-idealizatien of the leader; an example is given from a therapeutic group. In the second place, the appearance of the traitor in the group, and his condemnation. The traitor is considered to be a necessity of the group at some stages of its development.
He becomes the depositary of all potential or actual treasons of the whole group, so that ultimately he might be the escape goat of persecutory guilt of the group.