Sibling Transference in Therapy: The Impact of Sibling Transference and Countertransference in Adult Psychotherapy

There is a large amount of psychoanalytic literature on the topic of transference in psychotherapy. However, until very recently surprisingly little attention has been paid to sibling transference phenomena. While discussion and case material is presented on parental transference in training programs for clinicians, there seems to be little information presented on the development or expression of transference related to siblings. Sisters and brothers can have a tremendous impact on an individual's development, relationships, and current functioning; therefore the lack of attention paid to sibling transference is puzzling. This book briefly reviews the literature available on the topic and the results of a pilot research study (Stites, 1997) examining sibling transference and countertransference in adult psychotherapy. This phenomenological study examined sibling transference and countertransference in adult psychotherapy. Areas of focus included how sibling transference might manifest, particular factors contributing to the development or eliciting sibling transference, some analytic dynamics of sibling transference, respondents experience of sibling transference in theory and training, birth order, and personal experiences of sibling issues relating to transference and countertransference.

Author: Marcy Stites

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Publication Date: Jul 30, 2014

Number of Pages: 124 pages

Binding: Paperback or Softback

ISBN-10: 150068225X

ISBN-13: 9781500682255