Object Relations and the Family Process

Joining two usually distinct areas of psychoanalytic treatment, this volume explores the psychoanalytic theory of object relations and its application to the study of marital and family interaction. Freud’s object relations model lends itself to the study of internalized object relations and external personal relations. Integrating various psychoanalytic approaches as well as contributions of Piagetian scholars, this essay also incorporates general systems theory. The study covers the breakdown of marital relationships, narcissism of partners, separation and individuation of adolescent offspring, role typing, family communication, defense mechanisms, entrapping and emotional processes. It concludes with a synthesis of marital and family object relations models.