Family Secrets: Why It’s Best to Share Them
- Psychoanalyst Laurence Joseph explores the enduring role of secrecy within families, drawing connections too mythology and contemporary literature.
- Laurence Joseph, a psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist based in Paris, argues that secrecy is fundamental to the very definition of family.A former member of the Hospital Institute of...
- She points to recent literary successes as evidence of this trend, specifically citing Laurent Mauvignier's 2025 Goncourt Prize-winning novel, The Empty House (Les Editions de Minuit),and Adèle Yon's...
The Family Secret: A Psychoanalyst’s Perspective
Psychoanalyst Laurence Joseph explores the enduring role of secrecy within families, drawing connections too mythology and contemporary literature.
The Enduring Power of Family Secrets
Laurence Joseph, a psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist based in Paris, argues that secrecy is fundamental to the very definition of family.A former member of the Hospital Institute of Psychoanalysis at Sainte-Anne Hospital, Joseph connects the prevalence of family secrets to the human experience of imperfection and the ongoing process of self-narration.
She points to recent literary successes as evidence of this trend, specifically citing Laurent Mauvignier’s 2025 Goncourt Prize-winning novel, The Empty House (Les Editions de Minuit),and Adèle Yon’s My Real Name is Elizabeth (Sous-sol).
How is Secrecy Constitutive of the Family?
According to Joseph, secrecy is not an aberration within families, but rather a defining characteristic. Families hold secrets surrounding fundamental aspects of life – death, illness, origins, and sexuality – and these secrets are both revealed and recreated continuously. This cycle reflects a global human tendency to grapple with personal flaws and incomplete narratives.
Joseph further notes that the theme of secrets is deeply rooted in mythology, appearing in narratives from Greco-Latin, Hindu, and Nordic traditions.