Working with Developmental Anxieties in Couple and Family Psychotherapy : The Family Within

The family begins with the parental couple; it is they who create the family. This book explores the way in which the child or any member of the family can carry unresolved projections arising from the parents’ families of origin: their family within, and the difficulties this internal family presents for the therapist.

The model developed in this book explores psychoanalytically based ideas about infant development and applies them to the internal world of couples and families. It presents both a clear explanation of these theories as well as case histories that show how these ideas work in practice. The developmental model presented offers an original perspective on the wide range of problems that many couple and family therapists struggle with. These problems can be understood in the context of the family within, the way in which the family of origin dynamics have been internalised. This shared understanding between the couple and family and the therapist provides a path to greater maturity and therefore a greater capacity to cope with life’s vicissitudes.

presents both a clear theoretical framework for understanding the development of the couple and family, and a practical application for these ideas. Case studies bring the model to life through illustrating both the problems of the family or couple and the difficulties of the work. It will appeal to psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, couples and family therapists.