ABSTRACT
The space for encounters and non-encounters, and of subjects having to make links in order to be able to work together, is a privileged setting in which to witness the changes that we have been able to perceive in clinical situations in contemporary families. The notion of a link or bond becomes significant when we need to understand how another mind plays a role in the development of a new mind. The analyst has to consider the family link that has been constituted, reconsider the links between different members, and search out still unknown sources of suffering. One function of the family group is to offer a container in which primary links can undergo needed transformation, giving way to new possibilities for mental growth. This function of the family group is facilitated during analytic treatment.
