The “Other Voice” of Psychoanalysis: Ferenczi and Group Analysis

An article by Juan Tubert-Oklander

Juan Tubert-Oklander, an Argentine-born Mexican psychoanalyst and group analyst, discusses the contributions of Sándor Ferenczi’s theory and practice to group analysis in his article “Ferenczi and Group Analysis”.* In this text, Tubert-Oklander argues that Ferenczi made important contributions to the emergence of group analysis. He says these major contributions lie in Ferenczi’s conceptually and technically revolutionary innovations, centred on the fundamental unity and mutuality of transference and countertransference. Later in the article, he notes that Ferenczi introduced a holistic conception of the unity of “transference and countertransference / family and child”, which implies a “field theory” that is fundamental to group analysis, even though it had not yet been formulated.

*For colleagues who wish to read further, the reference is: Tubert-Oklander, J. (2018). Ferenczi and Group Analysis. Group Analysis, 52(1), 053331641876438.

*Another valuable work for further reading is Emanuel Berman’s book on Ferenczi, published in Turkish by Bağlam Yayınları in 2007 in a translation by Bessi Meshulam, which offers an enjoyable and in-depth read: Berman, E. (2007). Diğer Ses: Sandor Ferenczi ve Psikanalitik Tedaviye Katkısı [The Other Voice: Sándor Ferenczi and His Contribution to Psychoanalytic Treatment]. Trans. Bessi Meshulam. Istanbul: Bağlam Yayınları.