A Psychotherapy Group as a Sociopolitical Context: The Case of the `Silent Majority'

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Abstract
Group psychotherapy can be conceived as a sociopolitical context, wherein participants (as citizens) struggle to balance personal needs and rights against the collective requirements of the group to which they belong. Potential conflicts arise between: (1) a member's right to privacy and the group's need to know about its members; and (2) the will of the majority and the protection of the minority. Psychotherapeutic groups also face constituency problems that arise from inequality of opportunity, skills or feelings of self-worth that affect what members give and get. This article explores the relationship between individual and group needs, membership and leadership, and the evolution of an enabling group culture in the case of the `silent majority'.