Siblings in the Nursery and Beyond

Abstract

This paper reflects upon the impact of the sibling histories of parents, their parenting decisions, and the projections and internalization of their difficult sibling dynamics, potentially creating hazards for the children of affected parents. It builds upon and extends the literature of history's impact on individual development and the literature on the importance of sibling circumstances in each generation to include the sizeable effect of both on the next generation. Ultimately, it seeks to examine the multigenerational impact of sibling experience through the study of three case histories, argues for the careful attention to the sibling narratives of parents and children in history taking and treatment, and gives case examples of transcending the past through carefully tailored treatment approaches.

Notes

¹Based on this dream, it could be argued that Amy's son still shared psychic space with her brother—her sunglasses, a possible representation of the format of our work and her own defenses, shielding her from too much direct contact with the sun/son at the same time allowing her to hide her true feelings behind them. But clinically there was no evidence that Ian was affected by these possible forays into past confusion.