Passion,Containment, and Commitment—Essential Elements of Groups Across the Lifespan in Bruce Springsteen’s Work

Abstract

The group, with its intensity, interaction, roles and dynamics, is an important unit of experience in everyday life, in psychotherapy groups, and in Bruce Springsteen’s music. This paper explores experiences of and ideas about real life groups throughout the lifecycle through Springsteen’s music, framed in concepts from a broad group literature including clinical psychology, social psychology, group psychotherapy, sociology, anthropology, and organizational psychology. The lifecycle includes adolescence and the role of the group to contain all its passions; the work world with its excitements and disillusionments; encounters with loss, and the holding power of the group; experiences of dissolution of the group, and possibilities for recommitment; and the passion and support of the group during celebrations. Themes of passion, containment, and commitment weave throughout the narrative.     

Cultural Psychotherapy: A Consideration of Psychosocial Class and Cultural Differences in Group Treatment

Most psychotherapists are aware of the many social issues and cultural factors that influence development throughout each individual life. Human nature, being a social nature, exists within relationships to others, the community, and a culture, sometimes a mixture of cultures. One social parameter, social class, redefined here as psychosocial class, has not received the same attention from psychotherapists as gender issues or ethnicity, two other important sociocultural spheres of influence on everyday life. It is suggested that group therapists are in a unique position to develop a cultural psychotherapy that addresses psychosocial class and cultural aspects of mental health. This paper includes a preliminary model of cultural psychotherapy that highlights the psychology of social class and culture for psychodynamic group psychotherapy.     

Therapeutic factors in two forms of inpatient group psychotherapy: Music therapy and verbal therapy

Therapeutic processes in one type of creative arts group psychotherapy, music therapy, were compared with verbal group psychotherapy. Sixty-one short-term inpatients ranked group psychotherapy curative factors and completed satisfaction ratings. Therapists rated 201 group therapy sessions— 109 music therapy and 92 verbal therapy. Statistical analysis revealed that patients highly valued both group formats. The mean curative factor rankings for both groups included cohesiveness, instillation of hope, and altruism among the most helpful factors. Therapists' ratings indicated qualitative differences between the two groups. Music therapy involved more therapeutic interaction among patients and emotional expression, whereas verbal therapy emphasized concrete problem solving.Supported in part by Biomedical Research Support Grant Program grant #S07-RR05755 from the Division of Research Resources, National Institutes of Health.     

Remembering Medard Boss

Abstract

The life and work of Medard Boss is reviewed. This overview includes the development of his daseinsanalysis, presenting its roots in psychoanalysis, existential phenomenological psychiatry, Heideggerian philosophy, and Indian thought. Also examined are Boss's contributions to the fields of psychotherapy, philosophy, and human scientific psychology. The latter contributions include Boss's explication of the meanings of three specific kinds of psychological phenomena: sexual disorders, bodily illnesses and injuries, and dreams. The article then concludes with the author's personal reflections on his experiences with daseinsanalysis and Medard Boss.     

On the Role of Passion in Second Language Learning and Flourishing

This study aimed to examine a positive-oriented model of two types of motivational constructs (i.e., harmonious passion and obsessive passion) for learning a second language (L2) and their relationship to self-growth indicators. The dualistic model of passion was used to explore whether and how the two types of passion play different roles in positive outcomes both within and outside L2. This study was conducted with 260 Chinese high school students learning English as a L2. Results of path analyses supported the model and showed that harmonious passion, and to a lesser degree obsessive passion, for L2 learning predicted learners’ positive experiences in L2 activity (i.e., L2 flow experiences and L2 mastery goals). In turn, flow experiences and mastery goals both predicted willingness to communicate in L2, whereas only mastery goals led to self-growth in other life areas (i.e., flourishing in life). This study is the first to explore the role of passion for L2 and associated processes in contributing to the field of L2 learning and life outcomes. Findings highlighted that being passionate about L2 learning can provide benefits in both willingness to communicate in L2 and personal well-being, especially if the passion is harmonious in nature.

     

Constructivist psychology of child abuse and implications for psychotherapy

Abstract

This paper reviews constructivist and related literature on child abuse and psychotherapy. Constructivist psychology, with its emphasis on the personal, socially embedded construction of meaning, is uniquely situated to contribute to humanistic psychotherapy for child victims and adult survivors. Conversely, work with abused clients deepens our understanding of developmental meaning‐making processes and the social ecologies of meaning within which they unfold.

Constructivist approaches to child abuse are inherently humanistic, focusing on the child victim's and adult survivor's attempts to make meaning of their experiences, including the often traumatic experiences of abuse and the relational contexts in which it occurs. This paper first discusses how constructivist psychology may deepen our understanding of the impact of abusive experiences, the reverberation of those experiences through subsequent living, and the role of constructivist therapies in the healing process. Secondly, this paper explores reflexive aspects of work with abuse survivors that may challenge our cultural and professional assumptions and deepen our commitment to constructivist, humanistic, and feminist psychotherapies.     

Voices from the Inaudible: The Patients Speak by Theodor Reik

Fifty-one inpatients, hospitalized on average for 21 days, were studied by means of discharge debriefing interviews. An unstructured, mandatory, and functionally heterogeneous psychotherapy group was compared with a structured, voluntary, and functionally homogeneous psychotherapy group. Statistical analysis of the patients' valuation of the group psychotherapy experiences and of their rankings of traditional group psychotherapy curative factors were performed. Results demonstrated that group psychotherapy was a highly valued component of the overall inpatient treatment. Structural modifications aimed at increasing the here and now, and interpersonal focus of the group meetings, such as the use of patient agendas and group rehashes, significantly affected the patients' group experiences. A comparison of both types of inpatient groups with an outpatient group psychotherapy sample suggests certain guidelines for the goal setting and conduct of inpatient group psychotherapy, recognizing the specific and heterogeneous needs and capacities of the patients treated.     

Passion,grit and mindset in the ages 14 to 77: Exploring relationship and gender differences

This study aims to investigate the relationship between passion, grit and mindset across the life span. The sample consisted of 917 participants between 14 to 77 years old. The eight item Passion Scale was used to assess passion, and the Grit-S scale to assess grit. Mindset was measured with the Theories of Intelligence Scale (TIS). The scale has 8-items.The results showed that for the group as a whole there was a significant relationship between passion and grit (r = .325); passion and mindset (r= .166) and grit and mindset (r= .167).For the female group (N = 502) the correlation was significant for the three factors: between passion and grit (r = .311), for passion and mindset (r = .195), and grit and mindset (r = .170). For the male group (N = 415) the correlation between the factors was also significant: for passion and grit (r = . 362), for passion and mindset (r = . 161), and grit and mindset (r = . 163).For the youngest age groups (14–19, 20–36, 37–53) the correlation between passion and grit was significant: 14–19: r = .588; 20–36: r = .317; 37–53: r = . 491. For the two oldest age groups the correlation was not significant. For passion and mindset the correlation was significant for the two youngest age group only. 14–19: r = .226; 20–36: r = . 161. For grit and mindset there was significant correlation for age group 2 only. 20–36: r = . 195).These findings might be potentially important for better understanding of the relationship between these constructs positively related to learning, achievement, well-being and life satisfaction.     

The Doctrine of the Two Kingdoms: Miracles,Monotheism, and Reason in Spinoza

Spinoza insists in the Theological Political Treatise that philosophy and theology are two separate kingdoms. I argue here that there is a basis in the psychology of the Ethics for one of the major components of the doctrine of the two kingdoms. Under the kingdom of theology, religion's principal function is to overcome the influence of harmful passion that prevents people from living life according to a fixed plan: people can live according to a fixed plan because they can obey. Through a series of arguments I show that Spinoza takes obedience to arise through devotion; devotion to associate with ideas of miracles and imaginative monotheism; and these ideas to be imaginative ideas of singular objects. On the psychology of the Ethics, ideas of this sort, although highly irrational, nevertheless give minds a power to resist harmful passion similar to that of ideas of reason. Although problems remain for the interpretation of the doctrine of the two kingdoms, this argument shows that Spinoza's psychology grounds his claim that theology, although different from philosophy, can help us to live well.     

Therapist gender and the same-sex puberty age psychotherapy group

Puberty is considered to be the most difficult developmental period to conduct psychotherapy. Group psychotherapy has special appeal for pubescents because of the anxiety experienced in individual psychotherapy with adults, and the mutual identification and support experienced with groups of same-sex peers. Although pubescents readily form cohesive groups, the emotional stress for the group therapists is intense and many therapists are reluctant to take on such groups. Close attention to the principles of developmental ego psychology suggests that pubescent groups will be more effective if conducted by group therapists of the same sex as the patients.     

BROKEN NARRATIVES: TRAUMA,METACONSTRUCTIVE GAPS,AND THE AUDIENCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY

A constructivist model of posttraumatic psychotherapy is presented with particular attention to the metaphors of "narrative" and "audience." Metaconstruction, implicit construing, and narrative continuity are explored to conceptualize how persons story their experiences, and how some experiences (e.g., traumas) disrupt the storying process. Then the elements of posttraumatic psychotherapy are discussed with case examples illustrating how the therapist, as audience member and conarrator, facilitates the reconstruction and renarration of the client's life story.     

A Practicum of Group Psychotherapy by Asya L. Kadis,Jack D. Kramer,Charles Winick,and S. H. Foulkes

The dwelling on personally significant past experiences, reminiscence, is a common phenomenon, particularly among the elderly. This paper explores the potential value associated with the use of reminiscence in group psychotherapy, particularly with elderly populations. After reviewing the various functions (both adaptive and maladaptive) that reminiscence could serve in geriatric group therapy, the paper presents specific guidelines toward maximizing its therapeutic value.     

The peer supervisory group for psychoanalytic therapists

The recent interest in peer supervisory groups for psychoanalytic therapists raises important questions regarding both psychoanalytic training and group process. The present paper explores these issues and suggests that there exists a continuum from case-centered peer supervisory groups to process-centered peer supervisory groups. Transference and countertransference and the recognition of parallel processes in psychotherapy supervision are examined in their relation to the supervisory group experience. The authors suggest that the model a therapist employs regarding the role of countertransference will most likely influence the kind of peer supervisory group that s/he will choose. Further, there are specific techniques, as well as experiences, which may foster alteration of the group's psychic organization. Illustrative case examples are provided throughout.     

Love,passion, and peak experience: A qualitative study on six continents

Abstract

Qualitative inquiry promotes deeper understanding of human experiences that can be reduced and decontextualized when examined solely via quantitative methods. In this study, we interviewed 150 people in 22 countries on six continents, asking them, ‘What do you love?’, ‘What is a great passion in your life?’, and ‘What has been a peak experience in your life?’. Love, passion, and peak experience share definitional and theoretical overlaps. However, they have not been explored simultaneously across cultures using qualitative methods. We utilized a pragmatic, inductive, thematic methodology, and 11 key themes emerged from the data. Other people and learning and growing were the top two themes for all three constructs, and data patterns suggested more variation within than between continents. We suggest that love, passion, and peak experience may promote self-determination and/or psychological complexity via integration with and differentiation from the environment, and suggest directions for future research.     

Passion in group: thinking about loving,hating, and knowing

In his early work, Bion (1961) established the goal of learning about and getting beyond the basic assumptions to become a work group. Later, in his structural theory of affect, passion became a key concept. Passion describes the necessary and sufficient condition for a psychotherapy group to be a work group. Passion is an intersubjective process of bearing and utilizing one's most basic affects to reach self-conscious emotional awareness. Bion postulated three primary affects: loving, hating, and knowing (LHK). A clinical example illustrates how the therapist may represent, mentally organize, and mobilize the group's potential for passion by attending to the evolution of his or her own affects. Passion transcends transference-countertransference in that an optimal level of personal meaning from LHK is achieved and utilized in emotional participation.     

Passion,vitality and life satisfaction for physically active old adults

In Arabic world, few studies are interested in psychological factors influencing the physically active old adults. The specific goals of the present research are the following: (i) test the factor structure and invariance tests for gender and physical activities for the Arabic version of the passion scale; (ii) test a model that describes a mediator role of subjective vitality in the relationships between passion and life satisfaction (iii) test the presence of differences for gender, physical activity practice, education level and age on passion. Two studies were conducted with 551 physically active Egyptian old adult (n = 354; n = 197). Passion, Subjective vitality and Life Satisfaction scales were administered. Passion scale composed of two subscales (harmonious and obsessive). Strong support for the complete invariance between groups. Subjective vitality was a mediator in the relationships between harmonious passion and life satisfaction. Education level and age had an effect on passion subscales.     

The Role of Music in Everyday Life: Current Directions in the Social Psychology of Music

Music is a crucial element of everyday life. People spend hours listening to it and billions of dollars buying it. Yet despite the pervasiveness of music, mainstream social‐personality psychology has hardly given any attention to this universal social phenomenon. Why is music important to people? What role does music play in everyday life? This article reviews research in fields outside mainstream psychology concerned with the social and psychological factors that influence how people experience and use music in their daily lives. The research in this area shows that music can have considerable effects on cognition, emotion, and behavior. It also indicates that people use music to serve various functions, from emotion regulation to self‐expression to social bonding. Research in this emerging field reveals how social‐personality psychology can inform our understanding of music, and in doing so it highlights the real‐world relevance of mainstream theory and research.