Sibling relationships are special in many ways, not least because often siblings are the family members who go through their whole lives together But those relationships can be fraught with strife or tension, bouts of happiness or strain and stress. They can predict and affect other relationships in our lives, and they can offer solace or sadness over the years. Here, Suzanne Degges-White looks at the variety of sibling relationships with an eye to improving both the good and the bad. Using real stories throughout, the author illustrates the broad spectrum of problems (and rewards) that can come from having a sibling.

Examining such factors as the early family constellation, birth order, cultural diversity, and family communication patterns, Degges-White illustrates how these relationships can affect so many other areas of our lives, and considers how adult sibling conflict, rivalry, abuse, and loss influence our lives. She offers suggestions for effective responses to adult sibling conflict as well as enhancing family communication and deepening the sibling connection in adulthood. No matter what the sibling relationship is or has become, this work will help readers consider how situations might be improved or addressed, even if it means letting go of unhealthy sibling relationships.

Suzanne Degges-White, PhD, LPC, NCC, is Professor and Chair of the Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL. She is a licensed counselor and her research interests include intimate relationships including family relationships and friendship. She is the author of Friends Forever: How Girls and Women Forge Lasting Relationships; Toxic Friendships: Knowing the Rules and Dealing with the Friends who Break Them; and Mothers and Daughters: Living, Loving, and Learning over a Lifetime. She is a featured blogger on Psychology Today website (www.psychologytoday.com/blog/lifetime-connections) and has edited six books on counseling in the community and the schools.