The recurrent condition of non-existence as defence to survive traumatic abuse creates the distortion in the meaning of the dependence from the object. To save a part of the Self from the risk of being annihilated the victim dissociates significant parts of the affective experience, taking refuge in a condition of non-psychic life comparable to agony, learning to cohabit with death psychic areas. The experience suffered de-signified and non-representable brings with it an insufficient development of the Self affective nucleus and a distorted sense of morality. In the paper will be demonstrated the propulsive value of the dissociated material. According to Bromberg’s model it is the therapist eye that can catch the hidden value. The setting issue is the central question in the treatment of abused patients and the author consider the heterogeneous group as a suitable setting for the treatment of these patients.
Keywords: Trauma, abuse, relationship, dissociation, therapeutic latency, group.