Introduction

I am very pleased to introduce Søren Aagaard who has written this article for the Group Analytic Dictionary (GAD). This is the third article in the GAD section in Contexts.

Soren is a clinical psychologist, a psychoanalyst (IPA) and group analyst. He is member of the Institute of Group Analysis in Copenhagen and member of GASi.

He has contributed in many ways to the therapeutic field and work in Denmark. He has in his early career worked in a psychiatric clinic for adolescents in a public hospital. For the last 30 years he has had a group analytic group in private practice.

On the theoretical front he has written many articles, been co-founder and editor of Matrix (The Nordic Journal of Psychotherapy). He has translated several books from Winnicott (Playing and Reality), Sandler, Dare and Holder (The patient and the Analyst).

Søren was in the first cohort of group analysts who graduated in Denmark and was in the training program which was set up in cooperation with IGA in London. He was one of the co-founders of IGA in Copenhagen and has for many years been a teacher (theory) and a supervisor. He has spent time on the board of IGA and the board of The Danish Society of Group Analysis.

In the eighties Søren was a part of the group who established a training program in Aarhus – which is now an independent institute (IGA- Aarhus).

Later he started his training as a psychoanalyst and has during several years given theoretical seminars on dreams.

This article describes a significant topic in the theoretical field of group analysis. And the article links/connects to psychoanalysis. “The interpretation of dreams” (Freud) has played a major role in the childhood of psychoanalytic theory which since then has taken many directions. Søren Aagaard shows some of the developmental steps from Freud, Jung to S.H. Foukes and Robi Friedman, amongst others.

Maybe this introduction should have had a title like “A dream come true” as Søren was the one who took the initiative to start the GAD project back in 2011.

Through all the years I have known Søren, I have really enjoyed my relationship with him as a colleague, a friend and a partner who is always ready for an open-minded discussion. I think, this is also reflected in the present article.  He will continue to be occupied with dreams, field theory and the sociological aspects of group analysis.

We will appreciate very much any responses and comments the reader might have to this presentation and we encourage you to visit the GAD in the GASi webpages: https://groupanalyticsociety.co.uk/group-analytic-dictionary/gad-blog/

Lars Bo Jørgensen
lars@psyc.dk