ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author examines how the study of sibling relationships and sibling differences can shed light on individual differences, the individual’s development within the family, and the family’s influence on the individual. He discusses possible theoretical and practical implications for family therapists. The author explores the siblings is also useful for throwing light on the development of the social understanding of children. Family therapy can help to clear up and change these deadlocked conceptions and to negotiate new ways of comprehending each other. In Ida’s family the premise of similarity became an obstacle for further development both for herself and her brother. In his research of families showing signs of centripetal or centrifugal forces, Helm Stierlin shows that self-delimitation and self-differentiation are essential for individuation. Precisely by legitimizing and problematizing similarities as well as differences, a process of individuation took place that enabled them to have a more active attitude towards their shared destinies.
