About the Book
Alone in the Mirror: Twins in Therapy chronicles the triumphs and struggles of twins as they separate from one another and find their individuality in a world of non twins. The text is grounded in issues of attachment and intimacy, and is highlighted by Dr. Barbara Klein’s scholarly research, clinical experiences with twins in therapy, and her own identity struggles as a twin, all of which allow her to present insights into the rare, complicated, and misunderstood twin identity. She presents psychologically-focused real life histories, which demonstrate how childhood experiences shape the twin attachment and individual development, and she describes implications for twins in therapy, their therapists, and parents of twins. Unique to this book are effective therapeutic practices, developed specifically for twins, and designed to raise the consciousness of parents as well. Readers will find these practices and the insights within invaluable, whether they use them to communicate with twin patients, family members, or if they are part of a twinship themselves.
See also Dr. Klein's more recent books on twin relationships: Twin Dilemmas: Changing Relationships Throughout the Life Span and New Understandings of Twin Relationships: From Harmony to Estrangement and Loneliness (co-authored with Stephen A. Hart and Jacqueline M. Martinez).
Table of Contents:
Martinez, Foreword. Introduction: The Girl with Two Heads. The Real Facts about Twins. Unique Developmental Processes in Twins: Implications for Psychotherapy and Parenting. Always Close but Never One: Anxiety and Depressive Disorders in Twins. Understanding Conflicting Attachments in Twins: The Resolution of Major Depressive Disorders. Real Differences between Twins and Identity Development. Looking at and Reacting to the Twin Attachment. What is Lost when a Twin Dies? Once a Twin, Always a Twin: Implications for Psychotherapy. Alone in the Mirror.
About the Author :
Barbara Klein, EdD, has a doctorate in education. She is an expert on identity development in twins. Alone in the Mirror: Twins in Therapy is her third book on psychological issues that are particular to twins. Her own experiences growing up as an identical twin are coupled with her clinical experiences and phenomenological research on twins.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/contributors/barbara-klein-phd-edd
Review :
"This book offers a lucid account of the draw, tightness, and turbulence of a twin relationship. It is filled with case histories that provide a rich tapestry illustrating the deep internal dynamics of the twin relationship." - Vivienne Lewin, Fellow, Training Therapist, and Supervisor, London Centre for Psychotherapy, United Kingdom; Author, The Twin in the Transference and Siblings in Development: A Psychoanalytic View "Alone in the Mirror is an invaluable resource...The significance and consequences of twinship are difficult for even the most sensitive, intuitive and highly trained singletons to really understand. This book is essential for anyone trying to navigate the complexity of twin relationships." - Jacqueline M. Martinez, PhD, Associate Professor of Communicology, Arizona State University, USA "Alone in the Mirror is a must read for those tired of the superficial coffee-table styled twin books. ...Twins in therapy have unique needs from that of non-twins. ...[and] the combination of case studies and therapeutic suggestions helps bridge the gap between what works for twins in therapy vs. those in a non-twin world. Alone in the Mirror stands alone on the reference shelf for therapists, mental health professionals, and twin enthusiasts." - Sarah Moukhliss, MLIS, Education Librarian, USA "Dr. Klein engages the reader through a rare sharing of her own personal life experiences as a twin, which makes reading Alone in the Mirror a more humanistic, meaningful, and intimate encounter. Her personal and professional experiences illuminate the struggles of twins to find their own individuality." - Muriel Kessler, LCSW, PhD, Board Member, The Sanville Institute for Clinical Social Work and Psychotherapy, California, USA "As a psychologist and a twin, Klein captures the essence of the twin struggle for individual identity, often at the expense of twin ship. She offers a fresh perspective and an enlightened view on being a twin and losing your twin." - Linda Pountney, Public Awareness Coordinator, Twinless Twins Support Group International, USA "Dr. Barbara Klein, an excellent guide to the world of twins, showcases the dynamic challenges facing twins as they oscillate between feeling profoundly connected to and estranged from their twin partner. Reading Alone in the Mirror will irrevocably change the way readers-be they twins, nontwins, or clinicians-think of twins." - Stuart A. Wolman, MD, PhD, Training and Supervising Analyst, Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis; Clinical Faculty, UCLA Department of Psychiatry, California, USA "An amazing, phenomenal, thought provoking book. Dr. Klein has totally captured the essence of twin loss. ...It is clinically written in a way the lay person can understand. This is a must read for the mental health professional and is a welcome sight for those of us as twinless twins who try to explain why the loss of their twin is so difficult." - Dawn Barnett, Board Member, Twinless Twins Support Group International, USA "Alone in the Mirror is such a rare find, a text one can turn to with confidence by an author whose personal life, education and professional practice uniquely enable her to authoritatively share new light on the nature of being a twin, the conditions for successful parenting of twins, and ways to help both twins and their caregivers as they confront situations related to mental health and well-being...Alone in the Mirror is not only unique in its comprehensiveness --- presenting scientific content together with its relevance for professional practitioners, for twins as well as their loved ones, for associates and those seeking enlightenment about the world of twins --- it is written as a humanity illuminating central problems of life and death and responding to them in nspiring ways." - John D. McNeil, Professor Emeritus, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, UCLA, USA
