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This paper explores the relation between radicalisation and the quest for identity through analyses of individual and family histories, highlighting the links between family tensions, shortcomings in parental relationships and the propensity for radical involvement, illustrated by examples of fictional characters and real-life case studies. The author also examines the psychological processes underlying radicalisation, such as identity metamorphosis, delinking mechanisms and the consequences of maternal failure on identity development. In addition, she addresses the therapeutic challenges of deradicalisation and reveals the transferential and counter-transferential dynamics in clinical work with radicalised individuals. Finally, she emphasises the importance of the socio-cultural and family context in understanding radicalisation, highlighting the vulnerabilities and tensions that contribute to this complex phenomenon.