Peers and siblings: their neglect in analytic group psychotherapy.

Peer and sibling history, transference, and theory construction, have been neglected in analytic group psychotherapy. One main reason for this neglect has been the belief that current psychoanalytic theory, individual and group, sufficiently accounts for the understanding of peer and sibling phenomena. Furthermore, peer transferences in the therapy group have been considered derivative of transferences to the leader. An argument is made for considering peer and sibling history, transference, and theory construction important in their own right. This argument is supported by a therapy group example. Implications for practice and theory are discussed.