Mothers in incestuous families

Based on the premise that mothers in father-daughter incest families are pivotal in the incestuous bond, this article considers the incestuous mother's personality dynamics and role within the context of parent-child nuclear and extended family interaction. Such fundamental issues as separation-individuation, identification, and fear of intimacy are addressed from a developmental perspective. Patterns of functioning of mothers who are both victims and colluders are highlighted, followed by treatment implications.