Extended families are studied here as opportunities for individuals to recreate links with their personal and family histories. We are interested in family changes as opportunities for personal readjustments, particularly in relation to the bond with the primary object for those who enter a second union. Our data come from therapeutic and research interviews. In clinical interviews with a family in distress, questions will arise which correspond to those the subjects ask themselves. Research interviews allowed us to compare the hypotheses derived from clinical practice with data collected from populations which do not describe themselves as having family difficulties. The results reveal how much personal history and family history are related.