THE SIBLING RELATIONSHIP IN GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH PUERTO RICAN SCHIZOPHRENICS

This paper summarizes one way a group psychotherapeutic process was made more culturally relevant for Puerto Rican schizophrenics. A three-member therapy team, representing the significant members of a family (father, mother and older sibling), was employed with each group of patients. Attention was focused upon the sibling's relationships in the therapy team and the ways in which the sibling's therapeutic maneuvers were employed in overcoming the intricate difficulties of establishing meaningful communication with the patients. The sibling's transactions in verbalizing the unconscious of the schizophrenic to the mother and father figures results in a rapid resolution of resistance for what was formerly deemed dreadful and secret, and which through repeated sibling verbalizations gradually acquires the appearance of the commonplace.