In pursuit of sisterhood: adult siblings as a resource for combined individual and family therapy.

Therapists traditionally view brothers and sisters as rivalrous and self-seeking. Under carefully arranged conditions, however, siblings can learn to cooperate with each other to resolve important conflicts in family relationships. This case documents a dramatic change in the relationship between a 29-year-old woman and her father, the outcome of a three-step therapeutic intervention in which sibling dynamics were selectively used by the psychotherapist. As part of her individual therapy, the therapist first aroused the woman's discontent with her status as the neglected "baby of the family." Next, a series of meetings were held with the woman and her three sisters that permitted resolution of their previous anger and misunderstandings, thus helping them to become a more cohesive group of sisters. The third step brought the sisters, now as allies both of the identified patient and of the therapist, into a constructive confrontation with the parents. This resulted in lasting personal change for the identified patient and improved relationships throughout the entire family.