The role of attachments in female adolescent development

Traditional theories of normal adolescent development have incorrectly underscored the importance of the individuation as the psychological goal. This paper will discuss how adolescent girls use their relationships to clarify their identity and differentiate themselves from their families of origin. Girls use friends, as journals, to achieve self differentiation in the context of their relationships. The clinical implications of this newer model, with its emphasis on attachments rather than on separation, will be considered, and group therapy recommended as the treatment of choice for adolescent girls.She is also in private practice in individual and group therapy.