ABSTRACT

This paper explores some of the unconscious group processes that multi-agency teams face in the development of emotionally engaged collaborative relationships. Here, the term multi-agency team is used to refer specifically to groups of professionals drawn from different organisations who come together and disband around work with a specific young person and their family. Through the close analysis of observational material taken from a multi-agency meeting concerning a young person in temporary foster care, there is an exploration of the acute emotional pressures and unconscious processes present in this small group. Drawing together Bion’s and Canham’s work on group functioning, in conjunction with Lacan’s formulation of the mirror stage as central to ego development, the very particular and problematic nature of the anxieties provoked by the loss of individual coherence in multi-agency teams is explored. Consideration is given to how an increased awareness of the nature of the anxieties provoked by work in small groups, and of the unconscious processes that become operative in them, can offer professionals working in multi-agency teams an additional perspective from which to view the emotional vicissitudes present in this type of work. It is suggested that a greater awareness of the specific emotional challenges posed by the small group can improve the potential for emotionally engaged collaboration in multi-agency working.

摘要

本文探讨了多机构团队在发展情感参与的协作关系时面临的一些无意识群体过程。在这里，多机构团队一词特指来自不同组织的专业人士团体，他们聚集在一起，与特定的年轻人及其家人一起工作并解散。通过对一个多机构会议中关于一名临时寄养的年轻人的观察材料的仔细分析，探索了这个小组中存在的剧烈情绪压力和无意识过程。结合比昂和卡纳姆关于群体功能的工作，结合拉康关于镜像阶段作为自我发展核心的表述，探讨了在多机构团队中因个人缺乏一致性而引起的焦虑的非常特殊和问题性质。考虑如何提高对小组工作引起的焦虑的性质以及在其中起作用的无意识过程的认识如何可以为在多机构团队中工作的专业人员提供一个额外的视角来看待情绪变迁存在于这类工作中。建议对小组所带来的特定情感挑战有更大的认识，可以提高在多机构工作中进行情感参与合作的潜力。以及在其中发挥作用的无意识过程，可以为在多机构团队中工作的专业人士提供一个额外的视角，从中查看此类工作中存在的情感变迁。建议对小组所带来的特定情感挑战有更大的认识，可以提高在多机构工作中进行情感参与合作的潜力。以及在其中发挥作用的无意识过程，可以为在多机构团队中工作的专业人士提供一个额外的视角，从中查看此类工作中存在的情感变迁。建议对小组所带来的特定情感挑战有更大的认识，可以提高在多机构工作中进行情感参与合作的潜力。