We live and work in groups: families, clubs, social and religious groups, businesses, communities, and countries. Groups and organizations are susceptible to dysfunctional or counterproductive ways of operating, just as individuals are. The result can be impasse or even failure, despite technical skills and intelligence. The underlying causes are often not apparent: conflict, impasse, or indecision can be surface markers of powerful covert forces that are outside of conscious awareness.
Unconscious processes in groups are an emergent property: they not predictable simply from knowing the individuals in the group. Organizational structure and leadership style can help or hinder a groups's ability to overcome tendencies to dysfunction. Psychoanalytic consultation, with a focus on group and team function, can help free an organization to move beyond impasse and fulfill its potential. The elements of success are often already in place. Consultation may take the form of meetings with the leadership, sometimes referred to as "coaching" to distinguish its goals from those of therapy. In some cases, the goals are best served by meeting with many or all members of the group