Learning from experience in case conference: A Bionian approach to teaching and consulting

• Published in: International journal of psychoanalysis Vol. 88; no. 4; pp. 981 - 1000
• Main Authors: Burka, Jane B., Sarnat, Joan E., John, Cornelia St
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: London Routledge 01.08.2007; Institute of Psychoanalysis; Institute of Psychoanalysis (British); Institute of Psycho-analysis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Applied psychoanalysis. Miscellaneous; Attitude of Health Personnel; basic assumption groups; Biological and medical sciences; case conference; Conferences; container↔contained; Faculty, Medical; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; group dynamics; Group Processes; Humans; Leadership; Learning; learning from experience; Male; Mental Disorders - psychology; Mental Disorders - therapy; Models, Psychological; parallel process; Patients; peer consultation; Peer Group; Private Practice; Psychoanalysis; Psychoanalysis - education; psychoanalytic education; Psychoanalytic Theory; Psychoanalytic Therapy - education; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Referral and Consultation; supervision; Teaching - methods; work group; Human; container<-> contained; peer consultation; Peer relation; parallel process; case conference; Group dynamics; learning from experience; Teaching; psychoanalytic education; Learning; Personal experience; basic assumption groups; Acquisition process; Social interaction; Psychoanalysis; Work team; Consultation; work group; Occupational training; Supervision
• DOI: 10.1516/W766-4007-8205-5478
• ISSN: 0020-7578

In case conferences as well as didactic seminars, the power of the group can bring psychoanalytic education to life. However, primitive anxieties activated by group dynamics may also interfere with teaching and learning. The authors offer the example of a stalemated private practice case conference that had unconsciously organized against learning as the members began to read Bion's work. The case conference leader, an analyst, presented her case conference, which was mired in basic assumption dependency dynamics, to our peer consultation group. Drawing upon Bion's early contributions on groups, as well as his later ideas about thinking and mental growth, the peer group facilitated the case conference's return to work-group functioning and learning from experience. Activated in the peer group, commensal container↔contained processes gradually spread throughout the entire relational system of peer group, case-conference leader, case-conference members, and patients. This example underscores the importance of promoting within our institutes a culture in which faculty view themselves as part of an evolving intersubjective matrix that works to foster the containing capacities of candidates, patients, and faculty alike.