ABSTRACT
Sibling relationships and their developmental impact have been relatively under-theorised in psychoanalysis. When the impact of siblings upon psychological development and relational dynamics are considered at all, the emphasis has been upon the effects of sibling rivalry, which implicitly privileges the centrality of children’s relationship with their parents. J. D. Lichtenberg has been one self psychologist who has made specific mention of the importance of affiliation with peers and siblings as a key aspect of self-development. A relational model of development may contribute to an expanded view beyond the parent–child dyad that, if not realigning the developmental tilt that Mitchell critiqued, might help to establish some additional vectors of influence. Psychoanalytic sibling candidates also may be particularly apt to offer one another support during periods of stress during training. Erika’s construction of a psychoanalytic sibling was a stand-in for a yearned-for actual sibling that she had lacked and who could have provided support during the exigencies of her early upbringing.
