Friday 7th June 2024, 9.30am – 4.00pm
Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House,
Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh
Group analysis as activism: Re-imagining the purpose of group therapy & psychotherapy Rhea Gandhi
In this presentation, I will speak about the experience of a group I conducted in 2020 in India during turbulent political times. Using this, I will argue that we need to reimagine the purpose of therapy to include working through socio-political oppression, domination and subjugation (not only our intrapsychic and interpersonal vulnerabilities), and place this psychosocial, relational work at the centre of the therapeutic endeavour - not on the sidelines.
Rhea Gandhi is a psychotherapist, group therapist & educator from India where she continues to run a private practice. She is on the Executive Board of the Association for Psychosocial Studies and the Indian Chapter of the International Attachment Network. She is also the 2022 winner of the Division of Psychoanalysis, American Psychological Association Scholar Award. She is also a PhD candidate investigating how the dynamics of coloniality manifest in counselling training.
QMMAC offers the exciting opportunity to meet colleagues and students from group analysis, psychoanalysis and related professional fields for a shared experience of large group work and presentations relevant to working in psychotherapy. This quarterly meeting provides an enjoyable and supportive space for thinking, dialogue and learning. The regular meetings aim to reduce feelings of professional isolation, stimulate creative discussion and develop a sense of community among those involved in psychodynamic work. Through shared learning and dialogue, we grow stronger and more confident about our work and its place in the psychotherapeutic milieu.
Suitable for past and present trainees in group analysis (at any level), group analysts, individual analysts and colleagues in other fields with an interest in groups.