ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses some of the complexities of psychotherapy with an identical twin. It illustrates how a therapeutic relationship can enable a twin to transform her identity as an identical twin into that of being a unique, separate person. The chapter examines a twin's difficulty in making full use of psychotherapy while so much of what is herself is located in the other twin and the other twin is used to defend against looking at her own most painful personal issues. As a twin, there is a risk of making one's primary attachment figure the other twin. Such an occurrence can augment many problematic developmental issues, particularly those linked with avoiding the frustrations of separation. These frustrations including possessiveness, rage, and anxiety inevitably accompany a child's healthy dependence on the parents for attention, love, and companionship. Not working through the frustrations of dependence and separation in early life brings a series of problems in adolescence.
