Barbara Klein - Böcker

Even twins are unique. Most people idealize twins, fantasizing a close, perpetually loving relationship. Yet Klein, herself an identical twin, demonstrates that twins have complicated and intense relationships that range from over-identification or excessive closeness to profound estrangement and conflict. Most twins who are raised as individuals deal with the significant emotional pain of separation in adolescence or young adulthood, yet as mature adults can come to love and respect each other as individuals.As Klein makes clear, the parenting that twins receive as infants and young children affects the relationships that they have with one another and with the world they choose to function in. Because parenting is a critical determinant of psychological well-being, it should be treated as a serious but manageable challenge. This book is a must-read for twins, their parents, and scholars, students, and other researchers and professionals dealing with mental health and child development.

New Understandings of Twin Relationships takes an experience-based approach to exploring how twin attachment and estrangement are critical to understanding the push and pull of closely entwined personal relationships. Based on the research expertise of each of the authors (all identical twins in their own right), and vignettes from twins across the globe, this book describes the inner workings of the twin-world, showing how the twin-world creates experiences that are often more intense and intricately textured than those in the singleton-world. Chapters debunk myths surrounding twinship and analyze the developmental stages of the twin relationship as well as the effect of being a twin on one’s mental health from different perspectives. The authors articulate how attachment, separation anxiety, loneliness, estrangement, and the subjective experience of the twin and non-twin "other" impact behavior, thinking, and feeling. Through its careful study of the many psychological challenges that twins face throughout their lifetime, this text will help psychologists, scholars, clinicians, and twins themselves attain a deeper understanding of all interpersonal relationships.

New Understandings of Twin Relationships takes an experience-based approach to exploring how twin attachment and estrangement are critical to understanding the push and pull of closely entwined personal relationships. Based on the research expertise of each of the authors (all identical twins in their own right), and vignettes from twins across the globe, this book describes the inner workings of the twin-world, showing how the twin-world creates experiences that are often more intense and intricately textured than those in the singleton-world. Chapters debunk myths surrounding twinship and analyze the developmental stages of the twin relationship as well as the effect of being a twin on one’s mental health from different perspectives. The authors articulate how attachment, separation anxiety, loneliness, estrangement, and the subjective experience of the twin and non-twin "other" impact behavior, thinking, and feeling. Through its careful study of the many psychological challenges that twins face throughout their lifetime, this text will help psychologists, scholars, clinicians, and twins themselves attain a deeper understanding of all interpersonal relationships.

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).

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).

This book will help parents understand and cope with the obstacles they face in raising a gifted child, and help them make the best choices for their son’s or daughter’s growth and happiness.While it can be rewarding to raise an extremely bright child -- quick, curious, sensitive, and introspective -- it’s also a daunting challenge. Parents need insight into their own motivations (as well as those of their children), and the courage and ability to make tough decisions about their child’s development.Raising Gifted Kids reveals how parents can:help develop their child’s potential and self-esteem without pressuring themplan their child’s educationwork optimally with schools and teachersrecognize and prevent problemssolve family conflicts over parenting issuesavoid the dangers of living vicariously through their child’s accomplishmentsFilled with proven solutions to the unique challenges of raising gifted kids, Raising Gifted Kids is the powerful yet accessible resource parents have long wished for.

The development of how twins relate to each other and their single partners is explored through life stories and clinical examples in this telling study of twin interconnections. While the quality of a nurturing family life is crucial, Dr. Klein has found there are often issues with separation anxiety, loneliness, competition with each other, and finding friendships outside of twinship. When twin lives are entwined because of inadequate parenting and estrangement, twin loss is possible and traumatic, creating a crippling fear of expansiveness—an inability to be yourself. Therapists and twins seeking an understanding of twin relationships will find this clinically compelling book a valuable resource.See also Dr. Klein's other books on twin relationships: Alone in the Mirror: Twins in Therapy and New Understandings of Twin Relationships: From Harmony to Estrangement and Loneliness (co-authored with Stephen A. Hart and Jacqueline M. Martinez).

The development of how twins relate to each other and their single partners is explored through life stories and clinical examples in this telling study of twin interconnections. While the quality of a nurturing family life is crucial, Dr. Klein has found there are often issues with separation anxiety, loneliness, competition with each other, and finding friendships outside of twinship. When twin lives are entwined because of inadequate parenting and estrangement, twin loss is possible and traumatic, creating a crippling fear of expansiveness—an inability to be yourself. Therapists and twins seeking an understanding of twin relationships will find this clinically compelling book a valuable resource.See also Dr. Klein's other books on twin relationships: Alone in the Mirror: Twins in Therapy and New Understandings of Twin Relationships: From Harmony to Estrangement and Loneliness (co-authored with Stephen A. Hart and Jacqueline M. Martinez).

Educating and raising gifted children presents highly specific challenges. This book explains how parents can learn to optimize their child's potential and work with schools, spouses, friends, and specialists to create a nurturing and stable life.Having a gifted child is a joy, but it is also one of the greatest challenges of parenthood to help that child find the right fit for education. In this remarkably insightful text, noted psychologist Barbara Klein, PhD, EdD, explains the emotional and social issues of giftedness, identifies parental actions and reactions that can exacerbate or soothe the challenges, and describes how these key factors tie in to identifying the best school and educational program to enable a gifted child to achieve his or her goals and maximize success. The text includes many vignettes from children and families who have sought guidance across 30 years from the author, an accomplished psychotherapist recognized as a national authority on raising gifted children.This single-volume work presents an understandable theoretical overview of the psychological problems parents face raising their gifted child and clearly explains why the parent-child interaction can be so intense and stressful—a reality that is rarely acknowledged in the existing literature on giftedness. Parents of gifted children will learn how to make decisions about their children's social emotional development and educational future and understand how their actions can be helpful or harmful to their gifted child and his/her education. Educators will fully grasp why and how gifted kids are different and why they need different educational environments, while mental heath professionals will gain insight into their gifted patients' emotional struggles. And gifted individuals will realize that others experience similar struggles.