ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses parent work in adolescent analysis with the help of W. r. Bion's group theory. It examines a potential clinical attitude underlying work with parents of adolescents in analysis or psychotherapy. It can be thought of as information gathering or as maintaining a connection with parents. The chapter contributes to the difficult work of conceptualizing unconscious family group dynamics in analytic adolescent treatment. Parent work is focused on understanding their adolescent and their parenting, in conjunction with the psychoanalysis or psychotherapy of their child, as distinct from family therapy. After an initial evaluation of the adolescent and an agreement for treatment, the analyst usually sees the parents for ongoing meetings, separate from the teen's sessions, throughout the treatment. R. Graham describes a particular way of thinking about family work, which evolved in the Adolescent Department of the Tavistock Clinic. Graham underlines the importance of a family identity.
