Sustained Empathic Focus and the Creation of a "We Space" Revisited in the Light of Recent Findings in Neurobiology

Int J Group Psychother. 2017 Oct;67(4):479-499. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1278173. Epub 2017 Mar 30.

Abstract

This article is an attempt to expand our understanding of the curative process with an emphasis on the group therapy setting. It presents a self psychological approach that underlines the importance of a "sustained empathic focus" on each patient's subjective experience and the creation of what we have referred to as shared "vulnerable moments" and a "we-space." The relationship of our approach to recent findings in the field of neurobiology is then considered.