This paper is an attempt to address issues encountered in the Supervision of a community meeting in a psychiatric unit which is scheduled for closure. An initial practical problem which took the form of difficulty in meeting for the supervisory session is examined from a psychodynamic perspective and related to difficulties encountered by the therapists in their work with the patient group and ultimately to the dynamics of the patients themselves.
Material provided by patients and staff is discussed in terms of the concept of relatedness to the non-human environment as described by Searles and it is suggested that this may contribute to the understanding of the process of hospital closure as it affects patients and staff.
