The future of the group

Group oppositional and destructive processes have been insufficiently understood and integrated into the fabric of group psychotherapy. To strengthen our field for the future, this area requires further elucidation. The author's concept of the Anti-Group is used as a basis for exploring antagonistic group processes in the clinical setting in parallel to group disruption and threat in the social domain. Further, it is suggested that the legacy of our training organizations is tied to problematic and institutional group processes that tend to be repeated rather than acknowledged and resolved. These gaps in our understanding limit the power of the group because creativity and growth come from the recognition and transformation of destructive impulses.