Entire Therapy Group Bonds Over Shared Resentment of Therapist, Therapist Considers It Progress

A therapy group that had struggled to develop cohesion for six months achieved a breakthrough last Tuesday when all eight members spontaneously united around their shared resentment of the group's facilitator, Dr. Alan Process, who was reportedly 'thrilled' by the development. 'This is progress,' Dr. Process told his supervisor during consultation. 'For months, they sat in silence or talked about the weather. Last Tuesday, they found common ground. The common ground is that they find me annoying. But it's common ground.' The breakthrough occurred during a session in which Dr. Process asked the group to share one thing they wished were different about the group experience. Member Diane spoke first. 'I wish you would stop asking how things make us feel,' Diane said. 'You ask it every eight minutes. I've timed it.' 'I agree,' said member Robert. 'And I wish you'd stop nodding. You nod constantly. Even when no one is talking. You nod at silence.' The floodgates opened. Over the next forty minutes, all eight members contributed grievances about Dr. Process's therapeutic style, including his use of 'I hear you' (described as 'patronizing'), his habit of reflecting statements back as questions ('infuriating'), and his tendency to sit in contemplative silence ('hostile'). 'They were making eye contact with each other,' Dr. Process noted. 'They were finishing each other's sentences. They were laughing together. For the first time in six months, they functioned as a group. The fact that they functioned as a group opposed to me is therapeutically irrelevant. The bonding is what matters.' Group members have since created a text chain to discuss their feelings about the group, which Dr. Process considers 'an extraordinarily healthy development.' 'They're supporting each other outside the session,' he said. 'They're processing shared experiences. They're building trust. Yes, the shared experience is disliking me. But trust is trust.'