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Chapter Four – The diachronic analysis – who, what and when? – Page 120
disruptions. I taught the group (together with another colleague) for their first Semester
in the first half of the previous year, so the students were known to me prior to this
semester, but not to Judi.
As I think of myself back at this time, I am aware of a number of things. One is that
back then, I had not clarified for myself the distinctions between the myriad roles in
which I found myself. Perhaps there are particular difficulties for therapists as teachers,
not to mention as researchers, theorists and writers, in that they have to swim in a very
different way to that which comes naturally. Another awareness is that although I had
some structuring notions to hold onto (for example the importance of the detection of
patterns of surprise in clinical work, and the value of the impact of the work on those
discussing it as an aid to understanding the challenges in the work), I had precious little
content, nor anything particular to say.
One thread that I wanted to pick up was, what will happen as I think of the group now?
Who comes to mind? I am tempted to go with their order of presentation, always
something of a temporal sculpt of a learning group. If I do this, from memory after some
time analysing the data, I get Veronica, Tom, Ron, Mary, (Kelly – should have gone
here but was unwell and presented at the end), Nancy, Paula, Frances, Heidi, Kelly.
Even that isn’t easy to imagine. I don’t recall easily recall where Mary, Frances, Heidi
and Kelly come. I think about the changes. Kelly seemed to move towards the front of
the class, but it is as if she then took fright. When she came back, she could be nearer to
the teachers, hand back to us. (I’ve checked back at the schedule, and it looks as if
Frances comes after Nancy (who is number 9) at 10, with Paula at 11, Heidi at 12, Kelly
at 13, and discussion and a presentation from me at 14. I put Frances before Kelly rather
than vice-versa, but otherwise I recalled their schedule of contributions with good