Abstract
Developing skills to coordinate groups is an important requirement for psychologists, especially when linked to public health institutions. This action research, supported by the clinical-qualitative approach, was developed based on the Operative Groups device. It sought to understand how psychologists perceive the group work they offer, based on experiences in operative learning groups. Ten psychologists, working in an Outpatient Psychosocial Care Unit - a secondary facility of the Psychosocial Care Network - in a city in rural Minas Gerais, participated in the study. Data ordering occurred from emerging groups listed during three group sessions, and were analyzed based on the literature on groups, especially groups in institutional settings. The group process experienced fostered professional resources for addressing groupness. Expressions about professional difficulties faced in coordinating group interventions emerged and were discussed. The “group” device was thought of as a possible tool to be employed to facilitate transformations and foster potential human encounters. Future studies may be directed to new ways of understanding the group work developed by these and other psychologists, from different realities from the one portrayed.
Keywords:
Action research; Public health services; Psychotherapeutic techniques