UCD Psychotherapy under the School of Medicine delivers and awards a clinical training in Group Analytic Psychotherapy. This course is unique in Ireland and has been built on over 30 years of experience of group analytic training formally awarded by the School of Psychotherapy and University College Dublin.
Training in psychotherapy requires investment of time and investment of self. The pathway to qualification in Group Analytic Psychotherapy is designed to best support this process. The Professional Masters in Group Analytic Psychotherapy is a part-time clinical training programme delivered over a minimum five-year period over nine training weekends each year. The one-year Graduate Certificate in Group Analytic Studies is a prerequisite for application for the Professional Masters. On completion, the Professional Masters award incorporates the Graduate Certificate and thereby recognises the six-year period of training in Group Analysis: one year + five years. There is an option to exit the Professional Masters programme at the end of its second year with the award of MSc in Applied Group Analytic Studies.
On completion, trainees will have shown, through their engagement in the modules of the programme, the capacity to recognise the working of the unconscious and how it unfolds in group life. They will have developed the skills to work more effectively with group dynamics through setting up and conducting a short-term group under supervision where the principles of group analytic practice have been applied.
The first two years of the Professional Masters programme place particular emphasis on group analytic group work practice, where the emphasis is on learning about dynamic administration, including the establishing and facilitating of a short term group in a health or social care setting. This experience lays the foundation for clinical practice which is the central focus of the remaining 3 years of the Professional Masters.
Having completed the Professional Masters in Group Analytic Psychotherapy, graduates will be eligible to apply for the Programme of On-Going Learning, awarded by The School of Psychotherapy at St. Vincent’s University Hospital. This programme aims to support trainees to submit a clinical paper based on their experience of the training and of conducting a group analytic therapy group. It also includes ongoing supervision of their clinical group. It fulfils requirements to be considered for the Irish Group Analytic Society (IGAS) award of Clinical Licence to Practice as a Group Analyst, in accordance with the standards of the European Group Analytic Training Institutes Network (EGATIN) and European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP).
Group Analysis focuses on the relationship between the individual and the group, emphasising the essentially social nature of human experience.
As a therapeutic tool, Group Analysis aims to strengthen the relationship between the individual and the group to achieve a healthier integration of the individual in his or her communal network.
The ethos of Group Analysis as proposed by Foulkes (1975) gives weight and value to the experiential nature of learning in a group. As a result, group analytic training privileges group participation, for all members of the group including the conductors, as the core method of learning. Attendance and willingness to engage are therefore fundamental to an optimal group experience at every level of the training.
Group Analytic Course(s) offers a learning experience which includes personal therapy in a group, theory, supervised practice and clinical based inquiry & research.
The main characteristics of this course are:
The Professional Masters in Group Analytic Psychotherapy aims to train participants in the model of Group Analysis and its application in clinical and non-clinical settings such as organisations and work groups. Through participation in theory seminars, supervision groups as well as large and small therapeutic groups, trainees experience group analysis in practice and theory.
Learning Outcomes
The Professional Masters in Group Analytic Psychotherapy is a five-year part-time postgraduate course.
It is designed as a ‘block’ training which is delivered over nine weekends per year. In Years 1 & 2, each block begins on Friday afternoon and finishes on Sunday afternoon.
Years 3, 4, & 5 each block begins on a Friday morning and finishes on Sunday afternoon.
The course is delivered in-person in The School of Psychotherapy in St Vincent’s University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4.
Each weekend includes:
Therapeutic Experience – participation in a confidential group analytic therapy group and exposure to the workings of the unconscious which are a core learning experience of group analysis. These groups are based on the Foulkesian model of therapy, which include a conductor and generally 8 participants.
Supervision – rigorous supervisory engagement of work.
Theoretical and Research Seminars – interactive seminars which require students to participate in small group, large group discussions and presentations.
Group Work and Group Analytic Skills - interactive group which requires students to participate in theoretical discussion and role play activities.
Large Group – participation in an experiential large group setting which illustrates in practice, the impact membership of large groups has on individuals and groups. The group allows for increased understanding of the social unconscious through experience of the use of metaphor, dreams, and repetitions in experiences spoken about in the here and now which convey the effects of societal traumatic events in the past - alongside other large group dynamics.
This course is delivered in 4 core modules, each year of the five years.
Module Title: Group Analytic Psychotherapy 1 & 2
Modules Codes: PSCO40480 and PSCO40490
These modules are offered over 2 years and form a cornerstone of group analytic training with the experience of personal therapy in a group setting. By undergoing a group analytic therapy as a group member trainees acquire at first hand the experience of a group analytic psychotherapy process. The self-knowledge gained is the foundation for the trainee’s developing inner resources.
Module Title: States of Mind – Theory 1 & 2, The Individual and the Group
Module Codes: PSCO40540 and PSCO40550
These modules are offered over two years and aim to extend trainees’ understanding of the foundational theory of group analysis and group analytic psychotherapy. They include a history of the development of group analysis, its evolution over time and the place of the model in a wider therapeutic context. Key group analytic concepts including the social nature of being; the matrix; the network of communications; dynamic administration and group development will be key themes to be explored. The modules will also explore the work of Foulkes; M. Pines; Nitsun and Dalal and trainees will also study new developments in neurobiology and its discoveries about the human brain and its relevance to groups.
These modules also introduce trainees to the theory of psychoanalysis and its influence on theories of the development of the individual. In particular, they examine early development and the work of Winnicott in elaborating the importance of concepts such as holding, maternal reverie as well as the role of the father. The modules further examine the contributions of Bion with an emphasis on his theory of thinking and the role of containment and the basic assumptions.
Key to developing the link between theory and practice, trainees will also complete a placement experience in a mental health setting to gain sufficient knowledge of psychological difficulties and psychiatric illness in order to assist them in considering what group work and group psychotherapy can offer in such settings.
Module Title: Advanced Group Work Skills 1 & 2
Modules Codes: PSCO40520 and PSCO40530
These modules are offered over two years and focus on group work skills and in particular the recognising and responding to group work incidences or events from a group analytic perspective. Skills can include active dynamic administration and negotiation, managing group boundaries, recognising and identifying parallel processes and working the unconscious dynamics in a group work setting.
Module Title: Supervision, Inquiry and Group Work Practice 1 & 2
Modules Codes: PSCO40500 and PSCO40510
These modules are offered over two years and trainees are required to participate in group analytic supervision and to reflexively engage in the process. They will also contribute actively in the dynamic experience by reflecting on and applying group analytic principles in the work.
Further to this, trainees will plan for, establish and facilitate a short-term group (minimum twelve weeks) as group leader. Trainees will particularly focus on the tenets of dynamic administration and engage with a group analytic perspective in the preparation, delivery and supervision of the group.
Module Title: Advanced Group Analytic Psychotherapy 1, 2 & 3
Module Codes: PSCO40350, PSCO40360 and PSCO40370
These modules are offered over the final three years and are a core element of the Professional Masters in Group Analytic Psychotherapy. Participation in analytic group therapy aims to enhance and develop the trainees’ capacity to work with unconscious processes. It further enables them to recognise and challenge defensive patterns in themselves, others and in the group as a whole. Over time, the modules allow for an experience of leadership capacity in the group and in oneself. They provide an experience of psychoanalysis in a group for oneself and for others. These modules provide the foundational base for all clinical and organisational group analytic work.
Module Title: Therapeutic Group Analytic Practice – Theory 1, 2 & 3
Module Codes: PSCO40410, PSCO40420 and PSCO40430
These modules are offered over the final 3 years of the Professional Masters and aim to provide trainees with a systematic understanding of psychoanalytic theory, group analytic theory, psychopathology and the social unconscious.
This includes the study of psychoanalytic theorists, including Freud, Klein, Bion, Bowlby and Winnicott, key psychoanalytic concepts and the impact of the same on mental health on the individual and the group. Trainees will also be provided with an introduction to and understanding of the psychiatric model and the mental health services for adults in Ireland.
Group Analytic Theory in these modules will examine some of the socio-historic and intellectual contexts that have contributed to the emergence of Group Analysis. This will include the social theory of Norbert Elias and Foulkes; the social unconscious as posited by Hopper and Weinberg; the influence of race and culture including the concept of difference and the construction of gender Dalal, Scholz, Nitsun, and Nitzgen.
A focus on communication in groups will also extend the trainees’ understanding and awareness of group phenomena and communication levels in small, median and large groups. The work of Foulkes, Kreeger, de Maré and others will be introduced and supported experientially by a large group experience on the course.
Core to group analytic practice are Foulkes’ main precepts concerning the group setting, dynamic administration, the matrix, resonance, mirroring, location, condensation, exchange and the role of the conductor. Each of these will be examined in contemporary literature showing application of these concepts in practice. Further to this the therapeutic role of group members and group conductor will be explored through the theory including ‘holding’, ‘containment’ and ‘working through’.
These modules aim to foster knowledge and competence in the ethical practice of psychotherapy including current mental health policy developments. The modules will inform the trainee of the implications of ethics in clinical practice and will address professional liaison and referral to other mental health providers, including report writing and letter writing.
Finally, the modules will draw on group analytic research and enable trainees to review and examine current research and to conduct a literature review as part of the clinical inquiry.
Module Title: Advanced Group Analytic Skills 1, 2 & 3
Module Codes: PSCO40440, PSCO40450 and PSCO40460
These modules are offered over the final 3 years of the Professional Masters. They define and explore the role of the conductor in Group Analytic Psychotherapy at an advanced level. The trainee will be guided to further develop a dynamic perspective on group interactions, which include the conductor as convenor, group member and group therapist. The trainee will gain the skills appropriate to the setting up and conducting of an analytic psychotherapy group, to include the dimensions of structure, process and content. These modules assist the trainee to recognise how presentations of mental distress can manifest in both the group and individual clinical setting.
Module Title: Advanced Supervision, Clinical Inquiry and Practice 1, 2 & 3
Module Codes: PSCO40380, PSCO30390 and PSCO40400
In these modules offered over the final 3 years of the Professional Masters In Group Analytic Psychotherapy trainees are required to set up and conduct a clinical psychotherapy group and use the advanced supervision group as a cornerstone to guide their nascent practice. Trainees are expected to reflexively engage in the process and openly explore endopsychic dynamics to address challenges towards best practice standards. They will also contribute actively to the learning of others in the supervision group by reflecting on and applying group analytic principles and attitudes to the work.
Trainees are expected to take full responsibility for all aspects of the clinical group formation, from referral network development, to location management, assessment and selection of group members. In the course of the three years’ trainees are required to maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date portfolio of work, including relevant correspondence and notes, to support a focused group analytically informed presentation in supervision.
The Professional Masters in Group Analytic Psychotherapy will be awarded following attendance of 80% or higher throughout the programme.
There are no end-of-year examinations.
Assessment will include:
A Professional Masters in Group Analytic Psychotherapy (with an exit award after two years of a Masters in Applied Group Analytic Studies) is open to a wide range of professionals, for example, health based clinicians, including psychotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists, general practitioners and psychiatrists and also professionals from outside the health and therapeutic fields such as team leaders in any context, educators, organisational consultants, group work practitioners and a range of other professionals. This training supports the development of an understanding of the theory and practice of group life. Through its focus on group processes and dynamics at a conscious and unconscious level, it directly supports the health and well-being of individuals, groups and organisations.
Entry point for the Professional Masters in Group Analytic Psychotherapy is the Graduate Certificate in Group Analytic Studies, or an equivalent for entry.
International applicants should contact the Academic Programme Director for a full list of entry requirements. As a Part-Time programme it is currently not eligible for a study visa from applicants outside the EU.
A list of FAQs for international applicants is available here.
Many graduates continue to work in their primary professions using group analytic principles to inform that work. Further to this it provides a basis for their own management of the personal impact of their work.
Candidates who complete the Professional Masters in Group Analytic Psychotherapy or exit it after 2 years with a Masters in Applied Group Analytic Studies, may continue to work in their primary professions using group analytic principles to inform that work. Others develop their expertise with groups, including short term groups and teams while others continue to apply group analytic thinking and practice in organisational settings.
Important dates & information
For more information on course fees please visit the Fees & Grants Office website.
Academic Programme Coordinator
Karen O’Shea, Module Coordinator
Group Analytic Training Programmes
UCD School Of Medicine
The School of Psychotherapy at SVUH
St Vincent’s University Hospital
Elm Park
Dublin 4
Email: osheak@ucd.ie