Fluctuating gold standards and the processes of inclusion and exclusion in group analytic training institutions.

This article critically examines the inclusion and exclusion mechanisms within the European Group Analytic Training Network (EGATIN) and its constituent institutions, arguing that these processes resemble racialization strategies based on lineage and typology. It highlights how purportedly objective "standards" in group analytic training are often contingent, historically contingent, and serve to maintain the power of established groups, particularly privileging London-based lineages. The paper discusses the evolution and politicization of training standards, including recent shifts prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and raises concerns about the potential exclusion or marginalization of non-European and peripheral trainings due to rigid adherence to these standards. Ultimately, it questions whether EGATIN can balance its democratic ideals with the realities of institutional power and calls for greater flexibility and sensitivity to diverse cultural and geographic contexts in group analytic training.