Mentalizing the Matrix

New Perspectives of ´Ego Training in Action`

27th – 28th August 2010

Venue: Thon Conference Vika Atrium

Oslo, Norway

It is more than fifty years since Foulkes first described the process of group analytic psychotherapy as ´ego training in action` (1957). Drawing from the insights of self psychology and the object relations approach, the concept was taken up and reworded by Dennis Brown who spoke of  ´self development through subjective interaction` (1994).  Meanwhile our understanding of the metapsychology of the ego and its actions within the therapeutic process in indvidual and group analysis has become enriched even more by the findings of attachment theory as developped by Bateman, Fonagy, Main and Target and also by recent research into the  neurobiological foundations of attachment behaviour, affect regulation and  memory systems.

The 38^th GAS Autumn workshop in 2009, on this topic became very popular and was soon overbooked. The workshop was very successful and it was decided to repeat it as a co-operation between GAS, London and IGA, Norway in 2010.  The main themes will be the same, as well as most of the speakers. The workshop will last for two days (Friday-Saturday).

The aim of the workshop is to introduce the concept of mentalizing and mentalization based treatment (MBT) with particular reference to groups. The programme includes lectures and expert panel discussions as well as MBT skill training groups and small discussion groups. Invited key note speakers and staff members are Prof. Sigmund. Karterud, Øyvind Urnes (Norway), Thomas Bolm, Ulrich Schultz-Venrath (Germany), Catherine Freeman (UK).

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