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Judi
Yeah, maybe more maturely, I know I
wouldn't want community meetings if I
was in their shoes. What's the point of
having it?
Bill
Because it seemed to make a difference in
this group and in the other group as well.
Judi
But if they don't want one I wouldn't go
with it.
Bill
No, no, I'm not interested, I want to find
out.
Judi
Because I think at this stage you do
something they don't want.
Bill
Well I've done plenty of that this year. I'm
just following through that's all, it's just
something we did say we would think
about doing it again.
Judi
But they're sort of maturing as a group,
you know as a group. I suppose they're
beginning to think more as a group.
(inaudible) but they just seem to me, it's
good to see most of them here today.
Bill
Yes, there’s only (student) missing and
I’m sure there’s a good reason.
Chapter Eight – A Consulting Break - Page 243
(actually more sophisticated, showing
concern for each other). Perhaps the
important thing about the estimation of
where the group are at is that they have the
capacity to understand and to recognise
from experience when they are in the
autistic contiguous position (and hence
also have another position from which to
make this recognition) and when they are
not.
Judi identifies with the students and their
opposition to the community meeting.
Thinking about the conflict between us,
over whether the group are being mature
or primitive, and whether they need
understanding or challenge, these are very
much issues in clinical therapeutic work
(for which we are preparing the students),
and for the students as people in clinical
training. We are almost certainly reflecting
(Searles, 1955) and hence representing
dilemmas that are present in the discussion
with the students, but which cannot
apparently be easily be expressed there.
I sense that the ‘not’ in this sentence is a
parapraxis. This is an example of the
informative value of a mistake. I wonder if
I’m both trying to avoid conflict with Judi
(hence the ‘not’) whilst retaining and
pursuing my own interests.
I’m becoming frustrated. I think that a lot
of my frustration is because the decision to
think again about a proposed community
meeting has been taken at a meeting that
Judi failed to attend. Is she somehow
standing for the students in my mind, with
whom (as Course Director and Head of
Training) I have a complex and tense
relationship? Here I am wondering if the
relationship between Judi and me has
become a focus, through a kind of parallel
process (Searles, 1955) for the experience
of the dynamics of this other relationship,
as well as of other relationships besides.