Process Analysis of a Leaderless Countertransference Group

4 group therapists met for 4 sessions after the departure of the leader of their countertransference seminar. The group disbanded after the fourth meeting. This last meeting was recorded and analyzed using Bales' system of Interaction Process Analysis. Some factors leading to the group's dissolution were the absence of a leader, unresolved tension and antagonism, and the presence of the tape recorder. The lines of communication among members were quite uneven in that 2 members spoke mostly to one another, while 1 of them and 1 other member interacted not at all. Of the formal scoring categories, Bales' Index of Expressive-Malintegrative Behavior was of most significance in understanding the group interaction processes.