ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author comments that there seemed to be something very ‘sibling-like’ in their relationship which the author was also noticing between us. One of the problems is that siblings have not been sufficiently highlighted in our teaching institutions. Theories are taught which tend to view sibling dynamics as secondary to parents in the psyche, with a narrow focus based on the idea of displacement – which siblings are more preoccupied with their rivalry for the attention of the parents rather than the relationships they build between themselves. Encouraging the sibling aspect of relationships with patients does not mean excluding the parent. Our siblings help us to leave our parents, offering friendship and support while we discover our own mind and become independent. To engage effectively with the sibling matrix in our work we need to hold a family in our mind.
