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Oblivion. The value of the negative in psychotherapy between C.G. Jung and W. R. Bion

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Abstract

The article attempts to trace a possible path through the writings of two great psychotherapists: C. G. Jung and W. R. Bion, starting from the value given by both to the term “oblivion” in therapeutic practice. The initial assumption refers to the thought of L. Wittgenstein and states that one cannot ignore an ethical consideration in examining their ideas. Starting from this starting point, some themes of current psychotherapy are taken into consideration in order to connect them to the Bionian Read more

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Wandering through the dark forest: dreams and fairy tales in a group workshop

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Abstract

The paper touches upon the role that fairy tales play in a group therapy, as it works through processes relating to dream contents.  It exemplifies the way in which the interdisciplinary dialogue existing between group analysis and folklore research provides some interpretative options that would be unavailable unless one is familiar with the collective material existing in fairy tales. The example presented in the paper deals with the tale ‘Hansel and Gretel’, and demonstrates the way in which fairy tales are, in some cases, so integral to the shared cultural repertoire that it is almost impossible to deal with the dream narrative without relating its contents. The paper demonstrates the ways in which fairy tales and dreams might present a complementary or even compensatory dialogue, similarly to the way in which different voices in the group portray the outlines of conflicts and dynamics that the group will be occupied with in the phases to come. It is possible that this example Read more