TRANSFER PREMANEMOM I VERBALNOAKTIVNOMOBSERVERU

Lelica KosticPetar Opoli:

Institut za mentalno zdravlje, Beograd

Kratak sadria]: U dye grupe neuroticnih studenata ut-vrdivana su transfema dozivljavanja clanova premaopserveru (zeni) u zavisnost~ od njene v~rb~lne aktiv-nosti. U prvoj fazi (6 seansi) observer je c~tao, a udrugoj (sledecih 6 seansi) je bio verbal~o ak~Ivan ..Po-red metoda saucestvujuceg posmatranja, pnmenJenaje i analiza sadrZaj~ protokol~ sa ~e~s~ iz

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ispitivanogperioda. Na primenma reakcija pojedinih clanova gru-pe na opservera u fazi cutanja i fazi njegove verbalneaktivnosti pokazane su (ugla~n?~ nesve~n~). ve~~ sanegativnim iii pozitivnim dozivljajem ~n~~aJmh hc?,o-sti (pre svega majke, pa sestre i oca). IZ .zIvota pacije-nata. Zakljuceno je da se verbalno aktivni opserv:er do-zivljava prijatnije. Uocili smo da)e pro~en~.pa~lVneuaktivnu ulogu opservera pospesI1a.projekcije cla~ovegrupe na odnos izmedu terapeuta 1 opservera. Pri to-me naknadni verbalni angazman ranije nemog opser-vera ubrzava obrade neprijatnih osecanja vezanih zapasivnu ulogu clanova grupe .i.Ii znacaj!1ih fig~r~ iz nji-hovog zivota u pretezno patrijarhalnoj porodici.Kljuene reii: transfer, (cuteci i verbalno aktivni) opser-ver u ter. grupi, neuroticni studenti, analiza sadrzaja.

UvodStavovi a uticaju opservera na sadrzaje iprocese u grupnoj psihoterapiji se koncen-trisu aka misljenja da prisustvo opservera,bez obzira na nacin i cilj posmatranja, pri-licno usloznjava odnose u grupi. Ovo vazi,bilo da se opserver procenjuje kao onaj ko-ga clanovi dozivljavaju kao lice koje ugro-zava njihovu intimnost, (1) bilo da uvode-nje opservera u grupu predstavlja optere-cenje za terapeuta, (2) ili da terapeut do-zivljava da je ad strane opservera kontro-lisan. (3) Verovatno su najblize istini a uti-caju opservera na grupnu dinamiku ani (4)koji tvrde, da i opserver i terapeut treba daispune odredene preduslove da prisustvoposmatraca u grupi ne bi ometalo terapiju.Razlicita su iskustva zapazanja i a tome staje odlucujuci cinilac opserviranja. Da li je tovrsta opserviranja (iza jednosmernog ogle-dala, sedenjem izvan kruga Hi u samomkrugu pacijenata), da li sa ili bez aktivnogucesca opservera, ili je u pitanju neki drugicinilac, tesko je dati jednostavan odgovor.

Sto se rice uloge opservera u grupi koji cuti,smatra se da nemi opserver uvucen u grup-ni proces, nastoji da neverbalne komunika-cije svede na minimum (5) ida se on osecaneprestano, vise Hi manje, frustriranim iizoliranim. Pri tome maze da reaguje, kakozakljucuju neki autori, (6) na dva nacina,prvo, da za vreme seanse komunicira sagrupom neverbalno a posle seanse verbal-no, ili da kao saveznik terapeuta oponasavoditelja grupe, neretko preterano se iden-tifikujuci sa njim. Cuteci opserver u ulozikatalizatora grupnog procesa omogucavada se ublazi, a mazda i ukloni, dozivljaj te-rapeuta kao svernocnog lica, vezuci za sebe,kako pisu Cappiello, Zanusi, Fiumara, (7) 'f'

Ifantazije Super ega odnosno arhetip Senke. r

Ideja za pisanje ovog rada dosla je iz vi-segodisnjeg iskustva u vodenju grupa neu-roticnih, psihoticnih ,i granicnih pacijena-

pacijenata, smanjenje verovatnoce psi-hotickih ispada). Drugi terapeuti (9) suskloni da zapazaju negativne efekte pas iv-nog opserviranja, kao sto je jacanje otporaprovociranjem osecanja samilosti za ne-mog opservera. Treci (10) zapazaju kao re-akciju na nemog opservera povlacenje cla-nova grupe i porast zahteva pacijenata zaindividualnim seansama, odnosno dozivljajclanova grupe da se u grupi pojavio neko koje bliskiji terapeutu nego oni. (11) Najzad,neki medu autorima (12) koji su se baviIiovim pitanjem kornentarisu da se nemiopserver i terapeut pre medusobno identi-fikuju, ili cak simbiotski vezu, nasuprotpojedinim clanovima iIi grupi u celini.Sto se rice transfernog dozivljaja opserve-ra, prirneceno je da on tokom prvih seansipostaje objekt projekcija (primitivnog Su-per ega ponajvise), predmet transferiranja,bratskog rivaliziranja ili edipalne intra-psi-hicke problematike, sto donekle moze daometa terapijski proces. Opserver je dakle,pogodan objekt za pomeranje negativnihosecanja sa terapeuta na njega, kako zapa-zaju jedni (13), odnosno dobro-dosao psi-holoski medijator u analizi otpora, kakoisticu drugi autori (14).Vecina autora je saglasna u tome, da za-kljucimo, da je verbalna aktivnost pozelj-niji oblik opserviranja, jer se tako uveca-vaju znacenja, uloge i situacije u kojima onmoze da postane, koliko objekt transferi-ranja toliko aktivni saucesnik terapijskihprocesa u grupi. Vezivanjem negativnihosecanja za sebe on pospesuje smanjenje

'T napetosti u grupi.I

M

0'oo

S- Opis grupe i grupnog radai i metoda istrazivanjadCJZI..Ll

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ta, jednako u dispanzerskim kao i stacio-narnim uslovima njenih autora. Pri tom suoni stekli iskustvo i u opserviranju kao ivodenju grupe sa i bez opservera. Oprede-lili smo se za analizu ovog problema namaterijalu iz dye grupe neuroticnih stude-nata, koje je vodio drugi odnosno opser-virao prvi od autora ovog rada. Terapijskegrupe su bile slow open i funcionisale su uStudentskom savetovalistu Instituta zamentalno zdavlje u Beogradu u sastavu odoko 10 clanova. Sastajale su se jedanputnedeljno po 90 min. Inace su vodene nanacelima egzistencijal-analiticke psihote-rapije. (15) Pacijenti su na grupnoj psiho-terapiji proveli u proseku dye godine samalim stepenom izostanaka i drop-outa.Neki od njih su primali i medika-rnento-znu terapiju (vrlo male doze sedativa iIiantidepresiva), koje bi terapeut ordiniraoposle sastanka grupe. Studenti, clanovigrupe poticali su u pravilu iz unutrasnjostiSrbije sa razlicitih fakulteta. Bili su tougIavnom studenti sa zavrsnih godina stu-dija i to pretezno Sumarskog i Poljopriv-rednog fakulteta. Zastupljenost po polubila je ujednacena.Sve seanse ispitivane terapijske grupe sni-mane su na zvucne trake, a zatim in exten-so prekucavane. Ovaj pismeni materijal, ustvari protokoli seansi, sa prosecno 20 stra-nica kucanog teksta srednjeg proreda, slu-zio je kao grada za naknadnu (godinu danadocnije) primenu metoda analize sadrzaja,koja nam je posluzila da sistematizujemoodnosno objektivizujemo nasa terapijskaiskustva. Kad je rec 0 metodu istrazivanja,pomenimo i to da je, bez sumnje indirek-tno koristen i metod saucestvujuceg pos-rnatraca oba autora, jednako u ulozi tera-peuta, kao i u poziciji opservera.Celokupna iskustvena grada obradivana jeodnosno komentarisana sa psiho-dinarn-

skog stanovista, koje je teorijski i prak-ticno vrlo blisko egzistencijal-analitickornpristupu voditelja grupe.

Primeri i analiza transferailanova grupe prema nemomi verbalno-aktivnom opserveruGodinu dana po zavrsetku grupe pristupilismo analizi sadrzaja grupnih protokolakoji su se odnosili na sve verbalne sadrzajeseansi, ukljucujuci i krupne neverbalnedogadaje na grupi (kao sto je kasnjenje,napustanje sastanaka, promena u nacinusedenja, ekstremne varijaeije u nacinu pri-canja i s1.). Na osnovu utisaka iz tako sis-ternatski provedenog istrazivanja i narav-no, primenom psiho-analiticke teorijskeparadigme, izdvojicemo one primere kojiilustruju prirodu transferne relacije poje-dinih clanova naspram opserveru uopste,odnosno prema njegovom cutanju, verbal-noj aktivnosti i njegovom odnosu prematerapeutu, drugim recima, prema njegovojfantaziranoj (u fazi cutanja) ili percipira-noj (u fazi verbalne aktivnosti) terapijskojulozi. Isto tako ilustrovacemo rezultatezapazanja u promeni tzv. preterepijskogtransfera, (11) vise prisutnog na pocetkugrupnog rada i u fazi cutanja opservera, urazne oblike tzv. terapijskog transfera.

Prvi primer tice se [evan-e. Na sedmojseansi, prvoj nakon verbalnog ukljucivanjaopservera [ovan pokusava da uspostaviprisniji kontakt sa opserverom, trazeci do-zvolu za neformalan odnos sa njim. Inici-jator njegove psihoterapije je bila majka.Po svemu sudeci, on je svoje otpore premapsihoterapiji i donekle ambivalentna ose-canja prema majei, pomerio ili eventualnoprojektovao na opservera, koji je uz sve,ostao za njega autoritet od kojeg ocekujepomoc. Evo tog dela seanse koji to ilus-truje.

jovan: Zasto se koleginica ne ukljuci u raz-govor?

Terapeut: Ona ima takav stay da je u po-cetku cutala.

Opserver: Imate komentar na racun mogacutanja?[ovan: Da se malo ukljucite, pomognetesvojim razgovorom.Opserver: Sta Vi osecate dok ja cutim?[ovan: Kao da ste malo suvisni, jednomrecju, da ste malo ukljuceni.

U istoj grupi najstariji clan je bila Vera, cijisu se roditelji razveli kada je ona bila dete.Zivela je sa majkom i bakom po majci.Njeni unutrasnji sadrzaji bili su, izmeduostalog, osecanje da nikome ne pripada- ida je niko nece, jer joj nesto fali. U real-nosti otac ju odista nije prihvatao. Do maj-cine smrti nije ju uopste posecivao.Prisustvo opservera Vera dozivljava kon-stantno neprijatno, a narocito kada on cuti.Sebe dozivljava kao da je u izlogu. Za op-servera We: Srneta mi jer se ponasa zva-nicno. Ocigledno da je Vera prenela na op-servera osecanja vezana za majku, koju opi-suje kao hladnu, nezainteresovanu za njenesustinske zelje i potrebe, kao osobu kojaocekuje od nje sarno korektno ponasanje.Sledeci primer tice se specificnog reago-vanja na cutanje opservera. Sonja je paci-jentkinja sa Poljoprivrednog fakulteta kojaje rano ostala bez majke. Zivela je sa ma- Tcehom, oeem i sestrom po majci. Bila je ("/')

8cutljiva i povucena sa osecanjem odbace- gnosti. Na pitanje vezano za dozivlja] op- ~

Nservera, Sonja je odgovorila, da opserver N~utice na njeno ponasanje u grupi: Ose- ~cam se nesigurno kad me posmatra, a cu- oti. Cutanje opservera opisuje i kao nepri- @jatno u paranoidnom smislu: Osecam sekao zamorce, mada ga ponekad i ne pri- 61

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mecuje. Tako na drugo pitanje 0 dofivljajuopservera odgovara: Na trenutak zabora-vim na opservera. Njena procena opser-vera tokom grupne psihoterapije se naiz-gled ne menja, isticuci na kraju rada grupeda joj smeta njegovo cutanje, stirn da segubi paranoidni karakter dczivljaja (Onvise ne utice na njen nacin ponasanja).Nakon verbalnog aktiviranja opservera So-njin dozivljaj opserviranja se dakle menjaod vise ka manje neprijatnom. ana nudi iobjasnjenje svog dozivljaja nemog opser-vera. On je nairne, podseca na njeno cu-tanje u drustvu. Kako rece, Dobro zna ko-liko cutanje moze biti neprijatno. Po sve-mu sudeci Sonja se u grupi istovremenoidentifikovala sa nemim opserverom, takoda je cutanje u grupi podsetilo na njenocutanje posle porodicnih svada kojima jeranije bila svedok.Darinka, sledeci primer, drugacije doziv-ljava cutanje opservera. Ona povremenismesak opservera dozivljava kao njegovoukljucivanje u grupu. Nemog opserveradozivljava kao pasivnog. Na direktno pita-nje, kako je dozivela opservera, odgovorilaje da je prisustvo opservera osecala nepri-jatno, jednako kao i njegovo cutanje. Me-dutim, dodala je, da joj posebno odgovaraprijatan osmeh opservera odnosno nje-gOY prijatan pogled. avo se rnoze obja-sniti njenom senzibilnoscu (koja proizilazidelom i iz depresivnosti) za neverbalneporuke. Darinkin odnos prema opserveruima uz to izvesne elemente pozitivnogtransfera. Majka, 0 kojoj je Darinka govo-rila sa puno topline i razumevanja, bila jeu odnosu na oca pasivna i cutke je podno-

' sila maltretiranje s njegove strane. Darin-, kini odnosi sa sestrom su takode bili do-

brio Iz ovog razloga i dob i pol opservera:E- procenjuje pozitivno, tj, dopada joj se sto~ je malo starija od nje, kao i njena sestra.~ Sve u svemu prisustvo opservera na kraju

rada grupe dozivljava oslobadajuce. Sa62

druge strane njen odnos prema ocu je biopun otpora. Dozivljavala ga je kao agresiv-nog, u cemu je bilo realne osnove, jer jeovaj tukao majku. jednom je pred decompokusao i da ubije njihovu majku. Uvek jeimala teske snove, a u njima je retko san-jala oca ili ga je sanjala u slikama pretecihfigura (konji i s1.). Tek tokom grupne psi-hoterapije sanja neposredno i oca i to upozitivnom svetlu. Otac joj u jednom snusa kraja terapije poklanja vucica i prviput nije preteca figura. Opservera i vodugrupe dozivljavala je i kao roditeljski par.Transferirala je naime, model dominan-tnog oca (na terapeuta) i pasivne majke(na cutljivog opservera). Postojeci odnosizmedu terapeuta (u aktivnoj) i opservera(u pasivnoj ulozi) pomogao joj je da obra-di neka svoja neprijatna osecanja premaroditeljima, sto je bilo vidljivo i iz njenogverbalnog saopstavanja u grupi. Radilo seo teskim svadama roditelja u kojima jemajka, po rezonima crnogorske patrijar-halne porodice, stoicki podnosila psihickoi fizicko maltretiranje od strane oca, paterfamiliasa. Pri tome je potpuno zanemarilada zastiti cerke, svesno ih sprernajuci zaulogu onog ko treba da slusa i trpi.

Dozivljaj opservera i promenu njegovogponasanja komentarisali su i clanovi grupei sasvim neposredno. Navescemo odlomaksa jednog sastanka iz faze verbalne aktiv-nosti opservera, pri kraju rada grupe kojise odnosi na to, ilustrujuci, uz ostalo, ipromene u transfernom dozivljaju opser-vera nekih clanova:

Darinka: Doktorka (opserver) se dostaukljucivala, Dosta je pricala.Mihajlo: Mislim da je doktorka sada slo-bodnija.Terapeut: Kako Sonja to dozivljava?Sonja: Cutanje doktorke me je stalno pod-secalo na mene kada sam u drustvu. Tek

tada sam uvidela kako je to strasno nepri-jatno.Terapeut: Za druge?

Sonja: Drustvo mi je cesto zameralo. Go-vorili su: Sto cutis? Ti nisi uopste sa na-ma. Rekla sam: Pustite me na rniru, ja setako najbolje osecam. Sad sam shvatilakako je to neprijatno. Moze to neko dashvati i kao uobrazenost, Da necu da sespustim na njihov nivo, ili suprotno, ilinekako drugacije. Uglavnom, to cutanje jeneprijatno. Kasnije ukljucivanjem obser-vera u razgovor atmosfera je bila druga-cija, bolja. Prijalo mi je, bilo da je to struc-njak ili neko ko ima vise iskustva.Terapeut: Vi kao da ste videli sebe u njoj ito ocima drugog... Mi ne znamo sta se de-sava u osobi koja cuti. Tako lako mozemoda konstruiserno predstave 0 osobi kojacuti. Sta Vi mislite? (obraca se Mariji)?Marija: (obraca se doktorki): Bas sam sepitala zasto cutite sve vreme. Sledeci putmi je bilo malo neprijatno to Vase cutanje.Volela bih da znam sta mislite 0 onom stose govori.

Sonja: Ako neko stalno cuti, razrnisljassta misli, pa onda, zasto cuti?

Terapeut: A misli mozda lose?

Darinka: Tako nekako.Marija: Uopste one sto smo raspravljali?Svakako je interesantno cuti misljenje ne-koga ko posmatra sa strane. Ucestvovati urazgovoru i posmatrati sa strane, po menito nije bas potpuno isto.Opserver: Da li ste imali neku asocijacijukao Sonja?Marija: Meni su interesantna Vasa turnace-nja nekih stvari. Rekla sam to i Darinki.Darinka: ]a sam sarno jednom bila kad jeopserver cutao. Kasnije sam primetila danije uopste komentarisala. Vi ste se smes-kali pa to uopste nisam dozivljavala kao

cutanje. Bilo je to ukljucivanje u razgovorsa smeskorn. Nisam to dozivela kao Vasupasivnost niti kao posmatranje:Opserver: Vi ste napravili kontakt koji nijebio uspostavljen reCima?Darinka: Da.

Sonja: Doktorka je cutala, a ja sam se ose-cala kao da mi neko stoji nad glavom, dame posmatra. Nisam mogla dakazem nione sto sam htela. Bilo je neprijatno. Prvisastanak je bio takav. A, na drugom sam senavikla. Nije to kao kad neko stalno cuti udrustvu. Ne znas ni sta misli ni sta oseca.Tada sam shvatila kako je to moje cutanjebilo lose.

ZahljuiciNa osnovu iskustva posmatranja i analizesadrzaja grupnih protokola, zakljucili smosledece:

Opserver interferira sa grupnim proeesom ine remeti bitno grupnu dinamiku u smislupojacanja otpora ili odustajanja pacijenataod lecenja. Mladi neuroticni studenti pre-feriraju verbalno aktivnog nego nemog op-servera. Neprijatno dozivljavanje opserveravezano je za isto takva zivotna iskustva saznacajnim zenskim figurama iz njihovog zi-vota (koje po polu i dobi podsecaju na op-servera) ili pak za vlastito cutanje u drustvu(ukoliko se clan grupe identifikovao sa op-serverom). Prijatno dozivljavanje opserveravezano je za slicna transferna dozivljavanjaprema majci, a delimicno za negativne tran- l'sferne relacije pre rna oeu (u situaciji doziv- ~ljaja podredenosti opservera terapeutu u fa- g

~zi njegovog cutanja u grupi). Terapijski po- Ntencijal i nemog i verbalno aktivnog opser- N~vera lezi pre svega u obogacivanju grupne ~dinamike jos jednom figurom pogodnom za o

Znesvesne identifikacije ili projekeije danova UJna njega. Dragoeena pomoc opservera kojimenja ulogu od nemog ka verbalno aktiv- 63

TRANSFERTOWARDS SILENTAND VERBALLYACTIVE OBSERVERLelica KosticPetar Opaii:

Institute of Mental Health, Belgrade

Summary: Transfer towards the observer (of femalesex) experienced by two groups of neurotic studentsin relation to the observer's verbal activity were exa-mined. In the first phase (6 seances) the observerwas silent, and in the following phase (6 seances)the observer was verbally active. Beside the methodof collaborative observing, the analysis of the con-tents of the seances' protocols was also applied. Therelations (mostly unconscious ones) between posi-tive or negative experience of important figures (pri-marily mother, sister and father) of patients' livesand the reaction of certain group members on theobserver in the silent and verbally active phase havebeen shown. It has also been proved that verballyactive observer is taken by group members to bemore pleasant one. It has also been concluded thatthe shift from the observer's passive to his active ro-le induces the projections of certain group memberstowards the therapist-observer relationship, whereasthe verbal involvement of the observer, following thesilent phase, accelerates processing the unpleasantfeelings related to the passive role of group membersor important figures in their lives in mainly patriar-chal families.Key words: transfer; (silent and verbally active) ob-server in group therapy; neurotic students; contentsanalysis.

IntroductionPrevailing attitudes on the observer influ-ence upon the contents and the processesof psychotherapy agree that the observer'spresence, regardless of the manner andthe aim of the observation, makes the re-lations within the group rather complex.The statement is valid regardless of theobserver being treated by the group mem-bers as a person affecting their privacy, (l)a person whose presence is a burden forthe therapist (2) or a person whose pres-ence is treated by the therapist as some-one aimed at controlling him. (3) There-fore, the authors (4) claiming that boththe therapist and the observer should meetcertain preconditions in order to avoid theobserver's presence affecting the therapy,are probably closest to the truth regardingthe influence of the observer on the groupdynamics.

The opinions on the crucial factor of theobservation also vary. Whether the key fa-ctor is the kind of observation (one-wayscreen observation, sitting out of the circleor sitting within the circle observation) orthe issue of active or inactive participationof the observer or some other aspect of thegroup therapy - it is difficult to say.

Regarding the role of the silent observerin the group, it is generally accepted trial:the silent observer, drawn into the groupprocess, attempts to minimise non-verbal l'communication (5) and that he feels, mo- ("

therapist. The silent observer in the roleof a group process catalyst may alleviateand even eliminate the experience of thetherapist as an almighty being. The silentobserver also often draws to himself thephantasies of Super Ego, that is, thearchetype of the Shadow? Namely, themembers of the group can do to him, atleast more in their imagination than in thereality, everything they cannot do to theirtherapist.

Some authors (8) emphasise the positiveeffects of the silent observer presence (re-ducing the risk of patients' isolation fromthe staff of the health care institution,increasing the efficiency of the therapyteam members, better diagnostic evalua-tion of the patient, reducing the probabi-lity of psychotic attacks). Other authors(9) are more inclined to see the negativeeffects of passive observation, like theresistance increase by provoking the feel-ing of compassion for the silent observer.On the other hand, some authors (10), asthe reaction on the presence of the silentobserver, point out patients' withdrawalfrom the group therapy and increase in thedemands for individual seances, that is,the feeling among the group membersthat someone, closer to the therapist thanthey are, has appeared (11). Finally, someauthors (12), in their research of theissue, emphasise that the very therapistand the silent observer are those whoidentify with each other I or even create asymbiotic relationship opposed to certain

l' group members or the group as a whole.r

doses of sedatives and antidepressants)administered by the therapist followingthe meeting of the group. Group memberswere mainly coming from the province ofSerbia and were mainly advanced universi-ty students of the Faculty of Agricultureand the Faculty of Forestry. Both sexeswere represented equally.

All the seances of the researched therapeu-tic group were recorded and typed in exten-so following the seance. The typed materi-al - the protocol of the seances (on theaverage twenty 1,5 spaced pages) was theresearch material to which we, a year later,applied the methods of the contents analy-sis in order to systematise, that is, objecti-fy our experience. Speaking of the researchmethod, it should be mentioned that, nodoubt indirectly, the scientific researchmethod of collaborative observing by bothauthors, equally in the role of the therapistand the observer was also used.

The whole research material was proce-ssed, that is, commented on from the po-int of view of psycho-dynamics, which is,both theoretically and practically veryclose to existential-analytical attitude ofthe group guide.

The Examples and theAnalysis of the Group MembersTransfer towardsSilent and Verbally Active Observer

A year upon the termination of the group,we began to analyse the contents of thegroup protocols regarding all verbal con-tents of the seances, including importantnon-verbal events (such as: getting late,leaving the meetings, change in the man-ner of sitting, extreme variations in themanner of speaking etc.). Based uponsuch a systematic research, and of course,

the application of psychoanalytical theo-retical paradigm, we are of the opinionthat the examples mentioned below illus-trate the nature of transfer relations bet-ween certain group members and the ob-server in general. That is, their transfertowards the observer's silence, his verbalactivity and his, attitude towards the the-rapist - in other words, towards his fanta-sised (in silent phase) or perceived (inverbally active phase) therapeutic role.With the examples mentioned below, wealso wanted to illustrate the change of theso-called 'pre-therapy transfer, (11), moreevident at the beginning of the groupwork and in the silent phase of the obser-ver, into various forms of the so-calledtherapy transfer.

The first example involves ]ovan. Duringthe seventh seance, the first one followingthe observer getting involved verbally,jovan attempts to establish closer contactwith the observer, asking for the permis-sion to make an informal relationshipwith her. The initiator of his psychothera-py was his mother. His resistance towardsthe psychotherapy and, to a certain extentambivalent attitude towards his mother,had obviously shifted to, or projected onthe observer who, despite it all, remainedan authority he expects the support from.Here is an excerpt of the seance protocolillustrating it:

]ovan: Why doesn't our colleague get in-volved in the conversation?

0'Therapist: Her attitude made her be silent 25at first. ~

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Observer: Do you have any comments re- ~garding my silence? ~

CJ]ovan: You should get involved, you should ~try to help by your taking part in the con-versation. 67

Observer: What do you feel while I am si-lent?

jovan: I get the impression that you are alittle needless. In a word, not sufficientlyinvolved.

The oldest member of the group was Vera,whose parents got divorced when she wasstill a child. She lived with her mother andher grandmother by her mother's side.Her interior contents involved the feelingof not belonging to anyone and the feel-ing that nobody wants her, because theremust be something wrong with her.

In reality, her father did not accept her.Until her mother's death, he had not beenvisiting her at all.

The presence of the observer was a sourcea constant embarrassment for Vera, espe-cially when the observer was silent. Shesaid: 1 don't like her behaving so official-ly, It is very obvious that Vera transferredto the observer the emotions she had forher mother, the person she referred to as acold, disinterested in her real wishes andneeds, the person who just expected herdaughter to behave correctly.

The following example illustrates a specificreaction to the silence of the observer, Sonjwas a student of the Faculty of Agriculture,Her mother died in her early childhood, soshe lived with her stepmother, father andher half-sister by her mother's side. Shewas very silent and withdrawn person withthe strong feeling of being rejected. Askedabout the observer, Sonja said that theobserver had an impact on her behaviour

' within the group: 1 feel very insecure whi-G~ le she watches me, without uttering a

word. Silence of the observer she explai-::@ ned as a very discomforting, even in a para-

~ noid way: 1 feel like a guinea-pig. Askedt5 about the observer again, she answered:

For a moment I forget the observer, Her

68

evaluation of the observer during the grouppsychotherapy, on the surface, did notchange, as she pointed out at the end of thegroup therapy that the silence of theobserver upset her, although the paranoidaspect had disappeared (the observer didnot influence her behaviour any longer).Following the verbal involvement of theobserver, Sonja's experience of the processof observation obviously changed frommore to less discomforting one. She alsooffered the explanation of her experience ofthe silent observer by pointing out that theobserver reminded her of her own self inthe company of other people. She said: 1know how embarrassing somebody's silen-ce could be. Obviously enough, Sonja atthe same time identified herself with thesilent observer, as the observer's silence re-minded her of her own being silent follo-wing frequent family disputes she had wit-nessed as a child.

Darinka, on the other hand, had an utter-ly different experience of the silent obser-ver. The observer's occasional smile shetook as her (the observer's) occasional jo-ining the group, while treating the silentobserver as a passive one, Directly askedof her experience of the observer, she saidthat both the observer's presence and theobserver's silence triggered the feeling ofuneasiness in her. But, she also pointedout that she found particularly pleasantthe smile and the look of the observer,which can be explained by her sensitivity(partially the result of her depression) tonon-verbal messages. Darinka's attitudetowards 'the observer had also certain ele-ments of positive transfer. Her mother,described by Darinka with a lot of war-mth, was passive in her relation to Da-rinka's father, enduring all the mistreat-ment tacitly. Darinka's relationship withher sister was also a good one. Therefore,Darinka had positive attitude towards the

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age and the sex of the observer I as she li-ked her (the observer) being a little olderthan herself, just like her sister. All in all,the presence of the observer at the end ofthe group therapy she described as deli-verance. On the other hand, the relationtowards her father was overburdened withresistance. She took him to be an aggres-sive man, which was not without founda-tion, as he was beating her mother. Heeven attempted to kill her once before thevery children. Darinka had nightmares,and although her father did not appear inher dreams very often, he was always rep-resented by threatening figures (horses,and the like). It was only during the grouptherapy that he appeared in her dreams'directly and in positive light. Her fathereven gave her a baby wol as a presentand for the first time ceased being athreatening figure in one of her dreams atthe end of the therapy. She took the obser-ver and the therapist to be a parental cou-ple. She transferred the model of domi-nant father (to the therapist) and passivemother (to the silent observer). The exist-ing relation between the active therapistand the passive observer helped her pro-cess some of the unpleasant feelings shehad for her parents, which became obvi-ous from her verbal communication to thegroup. The unpleasant feelings came asthe result of parents' bitter disputes du-ring which the mother, obeying the princi-ples of Montenegrin patriarchal family,tacitly endured all the mental and physicalharassment by her husband -the paterfa-milias, at the same time absolutely negle-cting to protect her daughters and con-sciously preparing them for the role of theone who should listen and obey.

Members of the group directly commen-ted on the way they experienced the ob-server and the change in the observer'sbehaviour. The following protocol excerpt

of one of the final meetings involvingobserver's verbal activity illustrates,among other things, the change in transfertowards the observer as experienced bycertain group members:

Darinka: The doctor (the observer) got in-volved into our conversation. She talked alot.

Mihailo: I think that the doctor is moreopen now.

Therapist: How does Sonja experience it?Sonja: Doctor's silence kept on remindingme of myself in the company of other peo-ple. Only then did I realise how embar-rassing it must have been.

Therapist: For the others?

Sonja: People often objected to my being sosilent. They used to say: Why are you sosilent? You are not with us at all. And Ireplied: Leave me alone, I feel better thatway. Now I realise how embarrassing it is.Some people may even take it as a kind ofsuperciliousness. As if J looked down onthem, or the other way round. Anyway, thesilence is very unpleasant. When she (theobserver) took part in our conversation,the atmosphere changed for better. I foundit very-pleasant, regardless of the persongetting involved being an expert or just so-mebody more experienced.

Therapist: It seems that you've seen your-self in her behaviour, and you've seenyourself with somebody else's eyes... We !do not know what is going on in the mind 0'

oof a silent person. (to Marija) What do you think?

Marya: (to the observer) I was wondering ::E-why you were silent all the time. Next ~time I found your silence a little bit unple- ~asant. I would like to know your opinionon what we've been talking about. 69

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Sonja: If someone is constantly silent, youalways wonder what he could be thinkingabout, and why he has been so silent?

Observer: Therapist: And he may be think-ing ill?

Darinka: Something like that.

Marija: It may be very interesting to hearthe opinion of a person who has beenwatching us from a distance. Gettinginvolved into the conversation and beingaloof, I believe, cannot be the same.

Observer: Did you have an association likeSonja did?Marija: I find .some of your interpretationsvery interesting. I've already told that toDarinka.

Darinka: I was present only once while theobserver was still silent. Later on, Inoticed that she (the observer) did notmake any comments. You were smiling,and I did not take it as silence. It was yourway of getting involved into our conversa-tion. I did not take it as your being passiveor your observing us.

Observer: So, you made a non-verbal con-tact.

Sonja: Yes.Darinka: The observer was silent, and Ihad this feeling of someone standing rightabove me, watching me closely. I could notsay even what I wanted to. It was so un-pleasant. The first meeting was unpleas-ant. But, when the second meeting came,I got used to it. It's not like someone not

g uttering a single word in the company ofo2!, others. You never know what he may feel

or think. Only then did I realise how badmy being so silent must have been.

70

ConclusionBased upon the observation and the analy-sis of group therapy protocols, we havearrived to the following conclusions:

The observer interferes with the processof group therapy and does not disrupt thegroup dynamics in the way that his pres-ence does not induce resistance inc rea s eor the increase in dropouts.

Young, neurotic students prefer a verballyactive observer to a silent one. The obser-ver's presence taken as an unpleasant ex-perience by certain group members isrelated to their experience with importantfemale figures in their life (whose sex andage remind them of the observer) or totheir own being silent in company (if thegroup member has identified her/himselfwith the observer).The observer's presence taken as a pleas-ant experience by certain group membersis related to similar transfer experiencestowards their mother, and partially to neg-ative transfer relations towards theirfather (when the observer is in silent pha-se and is taken as a subordinate to thetherapist) .Therapeutic potential of both the silentand the verbally active observer lies pri-marily in his enriching group dynamicswith an additional figure very convenientfor the group members' unconscious iden-tifications and projections.Invaluable support of the observer whoshifts form the role ofthe silent to the roleof verbally active one (unless the group isguided by the therapist and the co-thera-pist) lies in offering wide range of possi-bilities for the group members' projec-tions, not only to Individual figures of thetherapist and the observer (as a potentialco-therapist), but also to the relationshipbetween them as unconsciously experi-

enced paradigm of the relations betweenparents. Our research proved that theshift from the role of the silent to the roleof verbally active observer increases thepotential of the therapist-observer rela-tionship to magnetise the projections. Thereason for that probably lies in the factthat group therapy patients' mothers usu-ally came from patriarchal communities,which imposed passive roles on them, si-milar to the role of the silent observer.Verbal activity of the observer opens addi-

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