PA257-6-SP-CO:
Group and Organisational Dynamics for Counsellors
2024/25
Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Monday 13 January 2025
Friday 21 March 2025
15
04 October 2024
Requisites for this module
(none)
PA215 and PA216 and PA217 and PA218 and PA221 and PA256
(none)
(none)
(none)
DIPLC89A09 Psychodynamic Approaches,
DIPLC89A24 Psychodynamic Approaches,
MA C89D36 Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy (3 year),
MA C89D48 Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy (4 year),
MA C89DFD Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy (3 year)
In this module students study group and organisational processes. It provides them with psychodynamic and systemic understanding of how groups, organisations and networks function and interact. This will provide them with a deeper understanding of the wider dynamics affecting professionals and clients.
It includes both theoretical and experiential learning.
Beginning with Freud's original and critical work on group psychology the module explores the impact that social and organisational psychology and psychoanalysis have had upon working and organisational life. We will consider the ways in which organisations and working life are influenced by powerful unconscious defences operating within and between people and organisational structures. How have psychoanalytic and systemic ideas helped to make sense of seemingly irrational group and organisational phenomena and striven to keep alive the 'human touch' in organisational and group life? What can the individual do to improve organisations, help keep them 'on task' and strengthen their therapeutic or enabling qualities? How does an understanding of group and organisational process become useful in a counselling situation?
The aims of this module are:
- To help students understand more fully the conscious and unconscious dynamics in groups and organisations so as to better understand group and organisational processes in their own workplaces and the impact of these on their clients
- To equip students with the knowledge and confidence to establish, maintain and protect the role of counsellor in complex organisations and to have a fuller grasp of the group and organisational pressures on themselves and their clients
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Have a deeper understanding of organisational dynamics
- Gain the ability to apply psychodynamic insight to a wide range of organisational settings
- Have an increased understanding of the unconscious dynamics at work in individuals, groups and organisations
- Gain the capacity to recognise how psychodynamic concepts come alive and apply to individuals, groups and organisations
- Have awareness of the key features of organisational life such as role, authority, leadership, followership, open and closed systems, organisational hierarchies and boundaries, conflict, primary task, and participation
- Have awareness of the role they play in group and organisational life including their capacity for self-reflective practice and management of self
- Have awareness of how organisational and group processes impinge on the clinical task
- Have awareness of the impact of group and organisational processes on their clients
No additional information available.
The module will be delivered via:
- Theory seminars
- Experiential workshops
- A two-day experiential weekend
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De Board, R. (2014a)
The psychoanalysis of organizations: a psychoanalytic approach to behaviour in groups and organizations. New York: Routledge. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=179926.
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Freud, S. (2001) ‘Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego’, in
The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud. London: Vintage. Available at:
https://pep-web-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/browse/document/se.018.0065a.
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Casemore, R. and International Consulting Conference (1994) What makes consultancy work: understanding the dynamics. London: South Bank University Press.
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Miller, E. and Rice, A.K. (1990) ‘Task and Sentient Systems and their Boundary Controls’, in
The social engagement of social science: a Tavistock anthology. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, pp. 259–271. Available at:
https://doi-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/10.9783/9781512819748-014.
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Roberts, V.Z. (1994) ‘The Organization of Work: Contributions from Open Systems Theory’, in
The Unconscious at work: individual and organizational stress in the human services. London: Routledge, pp. 28–38. Available at:
https://www-taylorfrancis-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/books/edit/10.4324/9780203359860/unconscious-work-anton-obholzer-dr-vega-zagier-roberts-members-tavistock-clinic-consulting-institutions-workshop.
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De Board, R. (2014b)
The psychoanalysis of organizations: a psychoanalytic approach to behaviour in groups and organizations. New York: Routledge. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=179926.
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Bion, W.R. (1985) ‘Group Dynamics: A Re-View’, in
New directions in psycho-analysis: the significance of infant conflict in the pattern of adult behaviour. London: Maresfield Library, pp. 440–477. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/group-dynamics-re-view-bion/e/10.4324/9780429477546-19.
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Colman, A.D. and Bexton, W.H. (1975) Group relations reader. Sausalito, CA: GREX.
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Gordon Lawrence, W., Bain, A. and Gould, L.J. (1996) ‘The fifth basic assumption’,
Free Associations, 6(1), pp. 28–55. Available at:
https://pep-web-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/search/document/fa.006a.0028a.
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Van Buskirk, W. (1999) ‘Organizational Cultures as Holding Environments: A Psychodynamic Look at Organizational Symbolism’,
Human Relations, 52(6), pp. 805–832. Available at:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/001872679905200606.
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Roberts, V.Z. (1999) ‘Isolation, Autonomy, and Interdependence in Organizational Life’, in
Group relations, management, and organization. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 224–238. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=18312&site=ehost-live&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_224.
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Spurling, L. (2017)
An introduction to psychodynamic counselling. Third edition. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6234603.
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Exall, D. (2014) ‘Third and Non-Statutory Sectors’, in M. Robson and S. Pattison (eds) The Handbook of Counselling Children and Young People. London: SAGE, pp. 401–414.
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Kegerreis, S. (2010)
Psychodynamic counselling with children and young people: an introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4762791.
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Lyth, I.M. (1988) Containing anxiety in institutions: selected essays, volume 1. London: Free Association.
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Morris, M. (2000) ‘Tyrannical Equality: A Mental Health Hostel’, in
Observing organisations: anxiety, defence, and culture in health care. London: Routledge, pp. 82–98. Available at:
https://www-taylorfrancis-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/books/edit/10.4324/9780203135150/observing-organisations-wilhelm-skogstad-hinshelwood.
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Grint, K. (2005) ‘Problems, problems, problems: The social construction of “leadership”’,
Human Relations, 58(11), pp. 1467–1494. Available at:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0018726705061314.
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Simpson, P. and French, R. (2005) ‘Thoughtful leadership: lessons from Bion’,
Organisational & social dynamics, 5(2), pp. 280–297. Available at:
https://pep-web-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/search/document/opus.005.0280a.
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Hinshelwood, R.D. (1994) ‘Attacks on the Reflective Space’, in
Ring of fire: primitive affects and object relations in group psychotherapy. London: Routledge, pp. 86–106. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780203359402/chapters/10.4324/9780203359402-7.
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Armstrong, D. and Obholzer, A. (2005) ‘The “Organization-in-the-mind”: Reflections on the Relation of Psychoanalysis to Work with Institutions’, in
Organization in the mind: psychoanalysis, group relations, and organizational consultancy?: occasional papers 1989-2003. London: Karnac, pp. 29–43. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780429478079/chapters/10.4324/9780429478079-3.
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Hirschhorn, L. (1990) ‘Work and Reparation’, in
The workplace within: psychodynamics of organizational life. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, pp. 201–216. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=50471&site=ehost-live&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_201.
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Emmanuel, L. (2002) ‘Deprivation x 3: The contribution of organisational “triple deprivation” of looked-after children’,
Journal of child psychotherapy, 28(2), pp. 163–179. Available at:
https://pep-web-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/search/document/jcptx.028.0163a.
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Ward, A. (2003)
Therapeutic communities for children and young people. London: Jessica Kingsley. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=290828.
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Mason, B. (1991)
Handing over: developing consistency across shifts in residential and health settings. London: Karnac. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=388461.
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Sebastian, K. (1988) ‘Splitting and Stupidity in Child Sexual Abuse’,
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, 3(3), pp. 247–257. Available at:
https://pep-web-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/search/document/pptx.003.0247a.
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John, B.-H. (1986) ‘Family Scripts: A Concept which can Bridge Child Psychotherapy and Family Therapy Thinking’,
Journal of Child Psychotherapy, 12(1), pp. 3–13. Available at:
https://pep-web-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/search/document/jcptx.012a.0003a.
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Sally Box and Tavistock Clinic. Adolescent Department (2015)
Psychotherapy with families: an analytic approach. Edited by E. Moustaki, J. Magagna, and B. Copley. Hove: Routledge. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3570042.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Essay |
09/04/2025 |
50% |
| Coursework |
Group Relations essay |
07/05/2025 |
50% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Mrs Arianna Pulsoni, email: arianna.pulsoni@essex.ac.uk.
Student Administration; Telephone: 01206 873745; Email: ppspgt@essex.ac.uk
No
No
No
Mr Mike Keating
Wessex Counselling and Psychotherapy
Head of Training
Available via Moodle
Of 30 hours, 30 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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