The management of sexual feelings in therapy.

Abstract

This research project examined the incidence, experience, salient features, and management of sexual attraction between psychologists and clients and assessed 908 American Psychological Association member psychologists who work in university counseling centers (43% return rate). Only 12% reported never having been attracted to any client, and 96% never had acted out sexually against a client. Almost half reported that their feelings of attraction benefited the therapy process, and 43% reported negative consequences. Sixty percent sought consultation or supervision to discuss this attraction. The results of this study support the need for increased awareness and education in this It is well documented that therapist-client sexual intimacy results in damaging, painful client experiences (

The aftermath of therapist–client sex: exploited women struggle with the consequences

“…Many clinicians acknowledge that sexual feelings are a common ingredient of the therapeutic relationship. For example, Pope et al (1986) and Bernsen, Tabachnick and Pope (1994) and Rodolfa et al (1994) stated that 88, 81, and 87% of their respective samples of psychologists or social workers reported having been sexually attracted to at least one client. According to Pope, Sonne and Holroyd (1993;cited in Hedges, Hilton, Hilton, & Caudill, 1997), unless the therapy is brief and focused on a specific, non-sexual issue, it is almost inevitable that some aspects of sexuality will emerge in the course of the treatment process.…”

“…There is no question in the minds of most clinicians that acting on such feelings of sexual attraction, either on the part of the psychotherapist, the client, or both, is a profound problem for the profession (Bernsen et al, 1994;Borys & Pope, 1989;Rodolfa et al, 1994), as well as a harmful experience for the exploited clients (Bates & Brodsky, 1989;Gartrell, Herman, Olarte, Feldstein, & Localio, 1987;Pope, 1988;Sonne, Meyer, Borys, & Marshall, 1985;Sonne & Pope, 1991).…”

Intimate attractions and sexual misconduct in the therapeutic relationship: Implications for socially just practice

“…Even less prevalent pertains to what has been documented regarding psychologists' sexual attractions to clients, a phenomenon that typically precedes the intimacy (Harris, 2001;Pope, Sonne, & Holroyd, 1993;Pope et al, 1986). Indeed, older estimates indicate that approximately 70-90% of clinicians have been attracted to one client, oftentimes more (Blanchard & Lichtenberg, 1998;Pope et al, 1986;Rodolfa et al, 1994). More recent studies indicated that 78% (Giovazolias & Davis, 2001) to 90% (Sonne & Jachai, 2014;in Hayes 2014) of those surveyed harbored such feelings.…”

“…Research has shown that some clinicians believed that sexual feelings were an indication of their enjoyment related to working with a client, as well as a manifestation of enhanced empathy and attention (Ladany et al, 1997), leading to an overall positive impact on therapy (Giovazolias & Davis, 2001). Accordingly, approximately 50% of therapist respondents in one survey believed that their feelings of attraction benefited the therapeutic process (Rodolfa et al, 1994). In contrast, additional research has demonstrated that other clinicians experienced guilt, anxiety, shame, confusion, embarrassment, and a loss of objectivity (Ladany et al, 1997;Pope et al, 2006;Rodolfa et al, 1994) related to sexual feelings.…”

Sexuelle Übergriffe in therapeutischen Beziehungen: Risikofaktoren, Folgen und rechtliche Schritte

“…Neben dem männlichen Geschlecht werden in der Literatur eine Reihe weiterer Charakteristika grenzverletzender Therapeuten aufgeführt, die als Risikofaktoren für sexuell übergriffiges Ver− halten gegenüber PatientInnen gewertet werden: Die Therapeu− ten sind häufig angesehen [13,17] und berufserfahren [11,18] in eigener Praxis tätig [16,19,20], befinden sich in schwierigen Le− benssituationen [18,21,22], haben narzisstische Defizite [23±25], weisen Problematiken im Umgang mit Nähe und Dis− tanz auf [21,26] und / oder sind selbst Opfer früherer Traumati− sierungen [27,28]. Auf Grundlage der Befunde ihrer Betroffenen− befragung Mitte der 1990er Jahre unterscheiden Becker−Fischer und Fischer [10,29] [36].…”