An Experiential Exploration into the Group Unconscious: A Glimpse of the Journey Ahead

Presenters: Catherine Johnson, LPC and Scott M. Nelson, PhD

This 90-minute experiential opportunity invites participants to directly encounter the living dynamics of a group. After a brief introduction outlining key psychodynamic concepts—such as the group-as-a-whole, projective identification, and emergent unconscious communication—the session will move into a live demonstration group comprised of volunteer participants.

Participants experience unconscious material emerging in the here-and-now, as participants enact and metabolize shared affect, resistance, and meaning. Following the demonstration, the audience will convene for a group discussion reflecting on the process, with a focus on linking the experience to psychoanalytic theory, clinical application and the unique opportunities provided by a group process.

This session offers not only an opportunity to experience the group unconscious as a living process, but also a subtle glimpse of a future opportunity to continue explorations—in a more expansive field setting.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe how unconscious processes emerge and are enacted within a live group setting.

2. Identify psychodynamic phenomena such as projection, resistance, and the group-as-a-whole in real time.

3. Reflect on how awareness of the group unconscious informs clinical practice and fosters deeper group cohesion.