Clinical work with twins and Twin Therapy with Vivienne Lewin

This workshop is for training and qualified clinicians

Image: Yinka Shonibar: Ibeji (Twins) Riding a Butterfly

In long-term individual psychoanalytic work with twins, one of the central aspects of the work will involve an in depth analysis and interpretation of the twin in the transference, in its various changing and developing manifestations. Detailed clinical examples of this can be found in my book, The Twin in the Transference (2004, republished Karnac, 2014).

Clinical work with pairs of twins has a different focus. In Twin Therapy, the nature of the relationship between the twins is explored with the aim of improving the relationship between them and creating a space for each twin to move out of an entangled twinship into a more companionable twin relationship. An understanding of twin development and relationships will be essential in this work.

While there are similarities between Twin Therapy and Couple/Marital Therapy, a fundamental difference lies in the fact that unlike couples, the twins have not chosen each other based, in part, on deep underlying unconscious factors in each of them. Twins arrive as a ready-made couple, like it or not. The intensity of the projective and introjective identifications, and the factors in their development described in my paper, “Twins, development, and existential fear at the heart of intimacy”, lead to an indelible enmeshed matrix in the identity of each twin.

Twin Therapy will try to address the specific issues in each twin pair by working with the view each twin has of the other twin, and of the relationship between them. It involves an understanding of the way they relate to each other, and of the background developmental factors specific to each. The focus will be on the relationship between them and the position of the psychotherapist in this relationship. 

I will discuss some examples of Twin Therapy from my practice and the methods I have used in trying to unravel the more intractable enmeshments in the twin relationships. I will look at how this work and my understanding of the twin relationships supports my earlier work with individual patients, and my understanding of twin development.

 

Schedule outline

In this workshop, we will have an opportunity to explore the nature of twin relationships, and the ways in which this understanding guides our work with twins. The main focus will be on Twin Therapy, but we may also explore individual psychoanalytic work with a twin.

1. 10am Brief Introduction to issues specific to working with a twin.
2. 10.10am “Twins, development, and existential fear at the heart of intimacy” - discussion of the paper circulated in advance, originally presented on 6th November 2025.
3. 10.45am Coffee break
4. 11.00 Twin Therapy: Presentation of Clinical work with Twins.
5. 12pm Discussion and open forum for workshop participants to explore their ideas and experience of clinical work with twins.

About the speaker 

Vivienne Lewin is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist who worked with long-term individual patients in private practice. She trained at the London Centre for Psychotherapy (now the British Psychotherapy Foundation) where she was a Training Therapist and Supervisor. She held several senior roles in the organisation, including the Professional Practice Committee and The Ethics Committee at the BPC. She is a Fellow of the British Psychotherapy Foundation.

Vivienne has specialised in understanding and working with twins, twin development, and the dynamics of twin relationships. She has retired from clinical long-term individual psychotherapeutic practice, but continues to offer consultations relating to her work on twins, and Twin Therapy. She also supervises and writes on her work with twins.

Vivienne has written a number of papers that are available to read on her website: www.viviennelewin.co.uk. She has published two books on a psychoanalytic understanding of twins and the twin relationship, and edited a third book on siblings:

2016. The Twin Enigma. An Exploration of our Enduring Fascination with Twins. Karnac Books, London and New York.

2009. Siblings in Development: A Psychoanalytic View: Ed. with Belinda Sharp, Karnac Books, London and New York

2004. The Twin in the Transference; Whurr (London). 2nd edition printed by Karnac Books, London and New York, 2014

*If you are a psychotherapist or counsellor residing in an active conflict zone, you are eligible to attend this event free of charge (regardless of whether you are a bpf member or not). Please email events@bpf-psychotherapy to enquire about a ticket.