93

Indications for short-term group psychotherapy have recently been extended to the issues of dependency and autonomy. These are critical issues for students. Six students participated in a small one-year group therapy focusing on dependency. Sessions were held weekly and were led by two co-therapists, both of whom were psychotherapists in training. The main problems that emerged during the one-year period were recurrent skin ailments and repeated absences. The expression of the underlying conflict toward the therapists seemed to be the most significant. Nevertheless, the group process allowed these complaints to be worked through symbolically as seen through the metaphorical reference to molting toward the end of therapy. Absences were also interpreted. However, the conflictuality encountered led the therapists to question what kind of transference was involved. Concurrently, the one-year time limit forced the therapists to confine their interventions to problems of dependency and autonomy. This process caused them to reconsider their relation to their training institute.