The sibling bond is the longest relationship most people will ever have. When things go wrong, it can cast a long shadow. That's where sibling therapy can come in.
The Today Show and Morning Joe on NBC and Today.com did a stories on sibling relationships and included relationship insights from Professor Geoff Greif in NBC's online story.
“Some people believe the intimacy of a sibling relationship is a blueprint for your future intimate relationships, too,” Greif said. “How you learn to share the bathroom, possibly a bedroom, and the kitchen table with somebody and how you get along with people is learned pretty early under an involuntary situation.”
You have millions of interactions with your siblings over a lifetime, which means lots of opportunity for miscommunication and hurt feelings, he added. When Greif and his co-author interviewed hundreds of adult siblings, they found most had positive relationships. But many also had very mixed feelings towards their brothers and sisters. Some were bullied or suffered sexual abuse. About 10 percent were estranged, like Laura, which can have a profound effect.
“If you are cut-off from that person, that sibling is a shadow on your life,” Greif said. “I can drop my friends, I can even drop my wife, but I can’t drop a sibling.”