Download scapegoat institute handout 2016

Starting Where We Are: A Neurobiological Understanding of Scapegoating and
Transformative Possibilities
Cindy Miller Aron, LCSW,CGP, FAGPA and Paul D. Cox, MD,CGP
AGPA Annual Meeting 2016 New York City
Who is the Scapegoat?
*A member who in some way is different, plays a divergent role.
*Repository for disowned material.(Malcus 1995)
*In groups, particularly new groups, people monitor the environment for safety.
*Difference creates nidus for irritation/resentment, anxiety can ensue, brain limitations reflect
issues of survival.
*Amygdala hijacked as group members err on the side of caution; skeptical of difference.
Why does this occur?
*First stage of group is ‘survival and attachment’ (Rice, 1992). The establishment of
commonalities, differences minimized and therapist idealized.
*Undifferentiated bonding helps cope with object anxiety.
*Second stage of group is “establishment of individual identity and safety”(Rice 1992) the
unconscious issues in the first stage become apparent; people begin to see difference, conflicts
emerge, comfort of conformity is gone, therapist no longer idealized, structure of group
threatened.
*The hijacked amygdala errs on the side of caution, imagining worst case scenarios(projection),
perception of fears and intentions of others(mirror neurons, non-verbal communication).
*Template for interpersonal trust dependent upon how secure is the individual’s attachment;
insecure attachment can exacerbate fears and avoidance.
*This is the juncture at which scapegoating is most likely to occur.
How is the scapegoat maintained?
*Groups’ expectation that if the scapegoat would change or leave, group would return to
previous state of calm and comfort.
*Reflection of brain limitations, as fear and feelings between the scapegoat and scapegoaters
increases cementing both sides more firmly into their polarized positions.
*Maintenance of the scapegoat relieves anxieties of uncertainty knowing that the scapegoat is
‘THE’ problem.
*The scapegoat protects members from perceived inadequacies of the leader.
*As long as the scapegoat can be blamed, the group issues go unexamined and unchanged.
(Gemmill, 1989)
*Fortunately brain-mind limitations can be transcended.
Starting Where We Are: A Neurobiological Understanding of Scapegoating and
Transformative Possibilities
Cindy Miller Aron, LCSW,CGP, FAGPA and Paul D. Cox, MD,CGP
AGPA Annual Meeting 2016 New York City
Leadership Considerations
*Leaders need to maintain a sense of composure and hope.(Tuttman, 1992)
*Therapists neutrality often lost as countertransference issues emerge.
*Group as a whole interventions tend to be most effective, focusing individuals on being part of
a ‘whole” (Kibel, 1992)
*Help manage the quality of limited working memory by giving members opportunities for
‘chunking’ each other (having a sense of one another.
*Keep aware that there likely is an unfortunate mix of insecure attachment styles that might be
repeated triggering members.
Interventions
*Reestablishment and maintenance of a theraputic environment.
*Maintain an empathic connection with the scapegoat and other members, specifically requesting
eye contact by encouraging healthy attunement between members.
*Shift members from an active mode to one of investigation and understanding perhaps
considering the explicit naming of the scapegoat dynamic, including an explanation of the
neurobiological underpinnings.
*Remind the attackers that it is not the behavior of the scapegoat that is troubling but what it
evokes in them.
Scapegoating can be usefully viewed as a compromise dynamic version of the brain doing
the best it can under challenging circumstances. Negotiating limits and transformation is
easier if one has an accurate understanding of what is causing the problem and that it is not
simply about being ‘flawed’ but reflects the strengths and limitations of all members’
brains.
Addressing who the scapegoat is and role he/she plays is a remarkable opportunity to move
the group towards greater individuation and autonomous functioning among members
while retaining a deep sense of connection.
Starting Where We Are: A Neurobiological Understanding of Scapegoating and
Transformative Possibilities
Cindy Miller Aron, LCSW,CGP, FAGPA and Paul D. Cox, MD,CGP
AGPA Annual Meeting 2016 New York City