Siblinghood - by Minaa B (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

For readers of Drama Free and The Origins of You, therapist Minaa B. explores one of our most influential yet least examined family bonds: adult sibling relationships.

Do you ever wonder why you and your siblings are so different from each other, even though you grew up together? Or why it can be so hard to get along with or understand your siblings, even as adults? Maybe you're the eldest daughter who's burnt out from chronic caretaking, or perhaps you wonder why your parents still treat your sibling as the golden child who can do no wrong. Maybe you just aren't that close to your siblings and feel grief over the bond that never formed, or you were once close to your sibling but have drifted apart in adulthood. Siblinghood is an insightful guide to understanding, navigating, and healing our complex relationships with our adult siblings--whether we're close, estranged, or somewhere in between.
Blending personal experience and psychological expertise, therapist and mental health educator Minaa B. explores how sibling bonds are shaped and how they can become fractured over time, examining gender roles and cultural influences, family systems, lifestyle choices, and trauma. With warmth and realness, Siblinghood gives readers tools to reflect on their childhood and the patterns they inherited, and, most importantly, equips readers to find peace in whatever sibling relationship they currently have.

No matter if your siblings are biological, adopted, step, or half-siblings, within the pages of Siblinghood you'll learn:

• Strategies for managing sibling relationships impacted by trauma, parental favoritism, and mental health conditions like narcissism and addiction
• The difference between sibling rivalry and sibling abuse (and why we aren't talking about this enough)
• Tips for navigating codependency, family dysfunction, and boundaries in low or no-contact sibling relationships; and
• How to thoughtfully create chosen siblings and seek out healthy, meaningful relationships

Whether you're seeking reconciliation, trying to set boundaries, or simply looking to understand your siblings better, this book offers a path forward rooted in acceptance and self-compassion.

Review Quotes

"Siblinghood finally gives us language, research, and frameworks to navigate a relationship that many of us were not taught not to examine; and a relationship that is often overlooked as being impactful to our development and identity: our siblings. Minaa writes with the clarity of a clinician and the warmth of a friend, making complex concepts easy to understand and offering tools you can use immediately. This book fills a real gap in how we talk about family healing, which is often focused on the parent-child relationship alone. Siblinghood doesn't offer any resolutions; instead, it is an invitation for you to reflect on the earliest relationship in your life and how it has shaped you. This book will live in my resources toolkit for friends and clients who might be struggling with their sibling relationships, or those just trying to understand themselves and their families better." --Israa Nasir, author of Toxic Productivity

"Siblinghood is a masterful guide to understanding, repairing, and redefining one of life's most influential relationships. Thoughtful, compassionate, and deeply insightful, this book doesn't just transform how you understand your siblings--it transforms how you understand yourself." --Dr. Mariel Buqué, bestselling author and founder of Break the Cycle

"In Siblinghood, Minaa B. skillfully explains how sibling relationships shape our development into adulthood, how these bonds are strengthened, and how they can be broken over time. This book serves as a helpful guide for anyone seeking to understand and improve their sibling connections--whether that means becoming closer, creating more space, or accepting the relationship as it is. Siblinghood will transform how we understand the impact our sibling relationships have on us." --Dr. Judith Joseph, TIME100 Creator and author of the bestselling book High Functioning

"Not once in my training as a licensed psychotherapist did anyone so much as mention the sibling relationship. We give much weight to intimate partnerships and parent-child bonds, but the sibling connection is a crucial part of human development and one that is too often overlooked. Minaa B's Siblinghood is here to change that. With her personal story woven in with years of clinical experience, Minaa B provides a roadmap for one of life's most important relationships. Whether your sibling is your best friend or someone you've been estranged from for years, there's hope and guidance in this book for you. Highly recommend." --Britt Frank, LSCSW, SEP, author of The Science of Stuck and Align Your Mind

"Siblings are our first peers, witnesses, and the people who share an intimate understanding of the family we came from, yet few of us are given the language to understand how deeply these relationships shape us. In Siblinghood, Minaa brings her warmth, wisdom, and clinical insight to this under-explored familial dynamic, offering the reader a new way to understand, navigate, and make peace with the sibling relationships that have shaped their lives. Siblinghood is a much-needed book for reflection, growth, and ultimately healing, and we are so lucky to have Minaa B's voice guiding the way."--Vienna Pharaon, LMFT, author of the bestselling book The Origins of You

About the Author

Minaa B. is a therapist, author of Owning Our Struggles, and creator of The Siblinghood Theory--a relational framework that examines how sibling and peer relationships shape the way we navigate belonging, conflict, and connection throughout life.
As the youngest of thirteen in a blended family, Minaa experienced firsthand how sibling dynamics shape our sense of belonging. Drawing on attachment theory, family systems, and Individual Psychology, she developed The Siblinghood Theory to address what traditional therapy often overlooks: the profound impact of sibling relationships on our adult connections.
An expert in her field, Minaa has been recognized by numerous media outlets and publications. She has appeared on The TODAY Show, CNN, Red Table Talk, BBC, and more. Her work has been featured in Oprah Daily, Katie Couric Media, The Washington Post, and CBS News, among others. Minaa is also a sought-after speaker, delivering keynotes and workshops for organizations including NAMI, Allstate, Meta, and Slack.
Minaa holds a graduate degree in social work from New York University and has worked across various sectors of the mental health field, including Early Head Start, private practice, and community mental health. She hosts This Feels Familiar, a podcast exploring belonging and relational wellness, and is also a relationship expert for eharmony. Minaa currently lives in New York City.