It stands to reason that many of us who enter the helping professions have a fundamental proclivity for being helpful, and we enjoy feeling needed and appreciated. In the case of psychotherapists, our professional training, our ongoing personal therapy, and our continuing education enable us to secure and maintain healthy boundaries with our patients. While we experience tremendous gratification and a sense of well-being when our clients are doing well, we are careful not to consciously or unconsciously demand that […]
Category Archives: Identity
She Gets It!
How refreshing it is to write about a mom who understands what her identical twin sons need. Much of her success is rooted in the healthy relationship that she has with her identical twin sister. What moved me when we were chatting was how often she emphasized that her sister gave her space so as not to impinge upon or interfere with her happiness or success. Although they live miles apart, their strong emotional bond and easy intimacy allows them […]
Tips for a Smooth Transition Back to School
Getting back into the school routine after a more relaxed summer timetable can be challenging for both parents and kids. While many moms and dads look forward to having more structured time for their multiples, the school year demands that the whole family get back into a more rigid schedule—which has its pluses and minuses. If your multiples are beginning kindergarten, this is an exciting and memorable time that requires a bit more focus and attention to the emotional details […]
Bermuda’s Amazing Multiples
My husband and I had been planning a trip to Bermuda for quite a while because some dear friends asked us to join them at the conclusion of their business meetings. On a whim I decided to look for a multiples group. To my surprise and delight I found the Amazing Multiples, a group affiliated with the Meet-a-Mum Association (MAMA). Both groups did a fantastic job coordinating the details of my presentation. Since the talk was held in one of the […]
Adult Twins: Identity, Rivalry, and Intimacy
Some twin pairs, not all, become disillusioned about their twinship because they struggle to be “known,” not just “noticed.” Since outsiders habitually relate to them as a unit or a fixed dyad, they expectedly have conflicts with their twin in an attempt to define or declare their individual selves. While twins fight just like different-aged siblings, their tensions have much more to do with establishing separateness and uniqueness, traits afforded naturally to siblings born at different times. Twins, especially identical […]