Column ‘My Way’ written for the Newsletter of the British Association of Group Psychotherapists

Reflecting on a congress in Barcelona

I recently attended in Barcelona the Second European Conference on Group Psychotherapy of the European Federation for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in the Public Sector (EFPP). It was entitled: “From Fragmentation to Cohesion" - in my mind just the sort of twee psyco-idealism we are prone to as psychotherapists, so I came up with my own re-interpretation: “From Fragmentation to Ever So Slightly Less Fragmentation, Hopefully.” I attended the Conference more out of a personal need to begin to have a picture of the local group therapy scene and to make contacts - I am moving to Barcelona this September - than of any particular involvement in the process of European union.

The Congress was a frustrating mix of rich ideas, illuminating presentations, well-packaged intentions and strangely malfunctioning experiences. The remarkably efficient and clean metro that took me to the Congress each day, each train leaving exactly on time without exception, immediately contrasted with the chaotic time boundaries of the Congress. Each of the three days started with long inexplicable delays, such that the programme was constantly having to be restructured. The most striking element of this was that on each day the part of the programme that had to make way for the lost time was the small discussion group, surely the core element of any form of group psychotherapy no matter what country or of any conference or workshop. My anxiety and trepidation about this as an obviously Spanish thing - oh my god, how can I survive in this boundaryless Mediterranean culture that always keeps you waiting and wanting more - has since combined with thoughts that this may also equally have been a European thing, symptomatic of our resistance to so-called union. What was most difficult to accept about this was that clearly much of our Catalan and Spanish host’s time and energy had gone into this gathering, only for the key space in which cross cultural and translinguistic dialogue might occur to be treated with such apparent disdain. Of course there were compensations and this is far from the whole story.

Sadly I’d arrived in Barcelona the day after the extraordinary Champion’s League Final - one hundred thousand in a circle in the Nou Camp - between Manchester United and Bayern Munich - with the streets (the Ramblas actually may as well be the only street in Barcelona) awash with loud boozy red and white celebration. There was also the Spanish Grand Prix that weekend, so there was very much a feeling of something extraordinary happening in this magnificent beGaudied city. This helped generate a mood of excitement over the possibilities of the Congress, as well as hugely inflating the cost of air travel. Three hundred psychotherapists coming together in a holiday setting in celebratory mood to get down to the really serious business of sitting, as opposed to driving round, in circles suddenly felt like just the thing to be doing.

A few familiar faces combined with the strange majority - one of whom it transpired works within the same NHS department. I wondered how far my Spanish could take me so I attended a group programmed to be in both Castilian (what we refer to as Spanish) and English. When I told the group of my expectation of this being a mixed language group the conductor seemed confused but nonetheless nodded and said in Castilian, “Well it can be if you want.” It turned out not to be.

With the small group decimated it was left to the programme of seminars, workshops and key note addresses to provide some cohesion. Simultaneous translation between the four Congress languages and the occasional translation on paper provided some linkage, however the generally poor quality of the translations made for very difficult listening. This may all sound very negative, possibly an expression of how I feel about moving here. The fact is though that I found the contact invigorating in many respects and left feeling energised and optimistic. The abiding images came from an evening of Catalan culture. Firstly, a Sardana, a dance of four men and four women linked in a perfect circle, fully attuned to each other’s steps. If only such harmony were possible. Secondly, and most memorably breathtaking, a troupe of Castellets. Around 50 or so people, ranging from four year old children to some in their forties, forming human towers. The tower emerges from what seems at first like a chaotic scrum. Suddenly, a platform takes shape made up of the strongest supported by the majoriy and before long the youngest children are climbing to the top of a tower of 5 or 6 levels. I could hardly watch, thrilled and terrified as I was - can the mass provide a secure enough base for the youngest and most vulnerable to climb upwards? Apparently, this year towers as high as 9 and 10 have been achieved!!

During the plenary session at the end of the Congress, I voiced some of my frustrations, in particular over the molten Dalinian time boundaries. In response, an experienced Spanish delegate said that he had made the same complaint once at a Mexican congress and was never again invited back. Perhaps I need to watch my step in future - seems like quite a fall!

Peter Zelaskowski

RETURN TO ARTICLES BY PETER ZELASKOWSKI