Group analysis
Resonance: A Key Concept in Group Analysis
Foulkes's concept of resonance: the unconscious, spontaneous communication that links members of an analytic group.
Prof. Dr. Ali KeyvanPsychiatrist and Psychotherapist · Updated: 3 April 2022
The concept of “resonance” in group analysis was proposed by S. H. Foulkes (1977).
Resonance is a primitive, unconscious and spontaneous form of communication between people, in which all things human awaken one another, creating an interpersonal group mind and a shared emotional experience (Berman, 2011).
Foulkes introduced the concept after noticing a spontaneous, unconscious, verbal or non-verbal interaction between group members, and he likened resonance to strings that vibrate and reinforce one another. As Avi Berman (2011) reports, Foulkes put it as follows:
“A person resonates to a situation that is attuned to what is embedded in their specific personality structure … the term resonance emphasises that this happens instinctively and inevitably. Each member of the group picks out from the common pool what is relevant to them.”
(S. H. Foulkes, 1977, pp. 298–299).
This page is for information only and does not replace diagnosis or treatment. If you have similar symptoms, please consult a mental health professional.
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Prof. Dr. Ali Keyvan
Prof. Dr. Ali Keyvan is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist. He practises, teaches and supervises cognitive behavioural and dialectical behaviour therapy as well as psychodynamic therapy and group analysis, and is a founding member of the Istanbul Group Analysis Association (IstGA). He sees clients at his clinic in Nişantaşı, Istanbul, and online.
