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Abstract
The problem of incest in women’s psychology.
The article focuses on the problem of incest as a theoretical and clinical issue in psychoanalysis, highlighting how its contemporary conceptualisation is often skewed by an assumption of symmetry between the sexes and a poor understanding of female development. A thorough examination of female psychology clearly shows that incest cannot be reduced to the prohibitive paradigm typical of the male constitution; rather, for women, the incestuous dimension is a way of organising their female desire as they enter the final stage of psychosexual development. This is because the attempt to fulfil her incestuous desire is crucial for the girl, as it means giving up her male claims, which are typical of early childhood, and allows her to access femininity in its most complete form, i.e. the psychological structure of an adult woman. In analysis, incestuous material must be recognised and processed without moralising barriers.