Containment, Organisations and the Working Task

With close attention to Wilfred Bion’s influence on the literature about groups and organisations, this book explores how containment has been transposed from the clinical setting to enlighten the work being carried out by psychodynamic practitioners and researchers, especially within organisations.

In the first part, contributors explore the origins of containment, comparing and contrasting it with similar concepts such as holding. A second part is devoted to addressing the implications of utilising psychoanalytic ideas beyond the couch and bringing them to the social field of groups and organisations. The early days of such ideas, as well as the wide range of methods applied, are also addressed in this section with the aim of giving the reader a more comprehensive base for the application of psychoanalytic knowledge. Finally, the third part provides a detailed view of the different applications of containment in consulting, leadership, therapeutic communities and group relations.

Drawing on their own experiences, the authors highlight how psychoanalytic concepts impact their own practice, contributing to a collection that will prove essential for psychoanalysts, managers, policymakers, consultants and researchers in a wide range of professional and clinical settings.

Tiago Mendes is a psychologist who holds an MBA (Rice University, US) and a PhD in Psychoanalytic Studies (University of Essex, UK). Tiago started his career working with vulnerable adolescents in residential childcare. Since then, he has given consultations to a wide range of organisations, focusing especially on the child protection field in Portugal. Tiago also provides training courses at university level for professionals working in residential childcare.

R.D. Hinshelwood is a fellow of the British Psychoanalytic Society, fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists; professor emeritus at the University of Essex, and former director of The Cassel Hospital. He has authored various books on psychoanalysis including A Dictionary of Kleinian Thought (1989/1991) and Observing Organisations (with Wilhelm Skogstad, 2000); and its application to organisations, including What Happens in Groups (1987).