The Anti-Group ― Destructive Forces in the Group and Their Creative Potential

The ‘anti-group’ is a major addition to the theory and practice of group psychotherapy and applied group work. It comprises the negative, disruptive elements, which threaten to undermine and even destroy the group, but when contained, have the potential to mobilise the group’s creative processes. Understanding the ‘anti-group’ gives therapists new perspectives on the nature of group relationships and alternative strategies for managing destructive behaviour.

With a new introduction written by the author, this Classic Edition of ‘The Anti-Group: Destructive forces in the group and their creative potential’, reassesses the theoretical base of group work , looking critically at the contribution made by S.H. Foulkes and comparing it to the work of Wilfred Bion. First published in 1996, Morris Nitsun takes a broader view of the subject, and places the ‘anti-group’ in the context of universal ambivalence about groups, which is evident in society at large. The 1996 edition has been widely read and is considered to be a historical and ideological breakthrough. With its timeless appeal, the Classic Edition will be essential reading for psychotherapists, particularly group analysts and group psychotherapists: group practitioners in general; organizational consultants; sociologists and social psychologists; academics and others in cultural studies and commentators on the link between psychotherapy and the arts.

Morris Nitsun is a consultant psychologist for the Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, a psychotherapist at the Fitzrovia Group Analytic Practice, a training analyst at the Institute of Group Analysis and the convenor of the Diploma in Innovative Group Interventions at the Anna Freud Clinic. His books include The Group as an Object of Desire (Routledge, 2006) and Beyond the Anti-Group: Survival and transformation (Routledge, 2015).