Group focal conflict theory: Description,illustration and evaluation

Group focal conflict theory makes use of a set of interrelated concepts to contain, order, and introduce meaning into the evolving dynamics of therapeutic groups and to relate and connect group and individual dynamics. Key terms are group focal conflict, disturbing motive, reactive motive, enabling or restrictive solution, individual nuclear and derived individual focal conflict, and resonance. The relationships between these are shown. Two illustrations are offered. The first shows the therapist attending mainly to the dynamics of the group-as-a-whole in order to facilitate a newly formed group to develop into a fruitful medium for therapeutic work. In the second, a period of resonance between group and individual focal conflicts shows how an intensive mutual transference between two patients is embedded in whole-group dynamics and how such an episode can be used profitably both by those centrally and not so centrally involved. Criteria for evaluating a theoretical model are described, and group focal conflict theory is discussed in the light of these. The usefulness of the model for research is discussed.