Abstract

This paper will discuss the phenomenon of fusion in heterosexual women's adult relationships; first as it emerged clinically in my treatment of women in group therapy; next as it hsa been discussed in the literature and finally as it emerged in my study of healthy women's friendships. There, the most differentiated and autonomous women in my study reported experiencing fusion in their closest female friendships. The paper then explores the meaning of fusion in women's relationships and calls for a transformed view of adult development which admits women's experiences of fusion with their strong sense of self. Finally, I suggest that fusion in adult friendships need not be seen as regressive nor pathological but may play an important role in women's experiences of self-differentiation.