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The incest trauma has increasingly been receiving attention and is the subject of scientific inquiry in many professional and academic circles. The focus of analytic interest and treatment lies in the understanding of the impact of this childhood trauma on identity formation, sense of self, and internal self and object representations (Price, 1993). Recent inquiries and speculations regarding the role of incest in determining borderline personality organization (Herman and van der Kolk, 1987; Stone, 1989, 1992) and multiple personality is an outgrowth of this development.
Incest involves the betrayal of a child by those who are entrusted with his or her care. “After abuse, the victim's view of self and the world can never be the same again, it must be reconstructed to incorporate the abuse experience (van der Kolk, 1989, p. 393).” It inevitably affects the victim's sense of self and others leading to the potential to obscure and distort interpersonal relationships in line with his or her abusive history. The frequent attempts by adults with an incest history to enact these themes and self-other identifications in the analytic relationship can lead to an atmosphere of intensity and storminess. Analysts who work with these patients often find themselves in situations that test deeply held beliefs regarding themselves, the world, and psychoanalytic treatment. These analytic situations are crucial, if not essential to an understanding of these patients' inner worlds and their early experiences. It is also a challenge to our own personal and professional values and beliefs. This article will discuss the possible