Abstract:Patients who express intense, erotic attraction to their therapists pose special treatment challenges that may not respond well to the interpretative effects of the therapist. The wish that the therapist demonstrate love for the patient and the therapists' own erotic feelings toward such patients can create misalliances as well difficult technical moments. Furthermore, some patients expressing their love for their therapist may have physiological manifestations while others would not. At the same time, therapi… Show more
“…A particularly controversial question pertains to whether the therapist should communicate his or her sexual feelings to the patient explicitly. Although we would not create a blanket rule about this, our views are very similar to Maroda's (; see also Lijtmaer, ). Unlike the expression of loving feelings based mostly on the real relationship, therapists’ disclosure of sexual attraction is more likely to burden the patient and create complicated reactions that confuse rather than further the work of therapy.…”
Section: Sex and Love In Therapysupporting
confidence: 60%
“…From a certain perspective, the psychotherapeutic/psychoanalytic process itself may be viewed as an arousing, even seductive, process. For example, in citing Messler Davies (1991, p. 761), Lijtmaer () tells us: That we know our patients and that we consistently make efforts at enhanced intimacy; that we offer certain provisions missing in their earliest object relationships; that we promise a kind of understanding and enlightenment–all this and more can render us objects of intense excitement and allure. This leads to the idea that the psychoanalytic encounter per se is a seductive process.…”
Section: Sex and Love In Therapymentioning
confidence: 99%
“…From a certain perspective, the psychotherapeutic/psychoanalytic process itself may be viewed as an arousing, even seductive, process. For example, in citing Messler Davies (1991, p. 761), Lijtmaer (2004) tells us:…”
We examine sexual and loving feelings, on the part of both the therapist and patient, as they relate to their real relationship, patient transference, and therapist countertransference. Loving feelings (agape) often are part of a strong real relationship and they tend to have a positive effect. Sexual feelings, too, may be part of the real relationship, but they are also often more conflict-based, residing in the transference and countertransference experience. It is deeply important for the therapist to seek understanding of his or her own and the patient's loving and sexual feelings, and to tease apart, as much as possible, the extent to which they are real relationship versus transference-countertransference-based. The patient's loving and sexual feelings toward the therapist need to be explored and understood just as other feelings. Although it is crucial that the therapist seek understanding of his or her own loving and sexual feelings toward the patient, we express serious reservations about the therapeutic value of sharing these with the patient.
“…A particularly controversial question pertains to whether the therapist should communicate his or her sexual feelings to the patient explicitly. Although we would not create a blanket rule about this, our views are very similar to Maroda's (; see also Lijtmaer, ). Unlike the expression of loving feelings based mostly on the real relationship, therapists’ disclosure of sexual attraction is more likely to burden the patient and create complicated reactions that confuse rather than further the work of therapy.…”
Section: Sex and Love In Therapysupporting
confidence: 60%
“…From a certain perspective, the psychotherapeutic/psychoanalytic process itself may be viewed as an arousing, even seductive, process. For example, in citing Messler Davies (1991, p. 761), Lijtmaer () tells us: That we know our patients and that we consistently make efforts at enhanced intimacy; that we offer certain provisions missing in their earliest object relationships; that we promise a kind of understanding and enlightenment–all this and more can render us objects of intense excitement and allure. This leads to the idea that the psychoanalytic encounter per se is a seductive process.…”
Section: Sex and Love In Therapymentioning
confidence: 99%
“…From a certain perspective, the psychotherapeutic/psychoanalytic process itself may be viewed as an arousing, even seductive, process. For example, in citing Messler Davies (1991, p. 761), Lijtmaer (2004) tells us:…”
We examine sexual and loving feelings, on the part of both the therapist and patient, as they relate to their real relationship, patient transference, and therapist countertransference. Loving feelings (agape) often are part of a strong real relationship and they tend to have a positive effect. Sexual feelings, too, may be part of the real relationship, but they are also often more conflict-based, residing in the transference and countertransference experience. It is deeply important for the therapist to seek understanding of his or her own and the patient's loving and sexual feelings, and to tease apart, as much as possible, the extent to which they are real relationship versus transference-countertransference-based. The patient's loving and sexual feelings toward the therapist need to be explored and understood just as other feelings. Although it is crucial that the therapist seek understanding of his or her own loving and sexual feelings toward the patient, we express serious reservations about the therapeutic value of sharing these with the patient.
“…Seducir sexualmente al objeto hombre terapeuta es la clave transferencial para ser aceptadas, no ser maltratadas, ser tomadas en cuenta. Lijtmaer 24 se pregunta cuales son los signos a tomar en cuenta para confirmar la transferencia erotizada. Pensamos que lo más probable, si no en todas, en la mayoría de las mujeres víctimas de incesto debe existir alguna forma de erotización despertada frente a objetos transferenciales 20,25 , no sólo por el tema aprendizaje conductista ya señalado, sino por los estí-mulos traumáticos sexuales nunca descargados del todo y bien dispuestos a la repetición como lo señala Berkowitz 26 .…”
Section: Transferencia Y Contratransferenciaunclassified
“…Most of the literature discussing sexual attraction, erotic transference and countertransference in therapy stems from the psychoanalytic perspective, (Liitmaer, 2004;Mann, 1999;Ogden, 1999;Slavin, Rahmani, & Pollock, 1998) which is highly informative but does not readily translate to the more diverse, short-term, behaviorally oriented training models that exist in many graduate counseling programs.…”
Fifty-six full-time graduate Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) counseling students responded to case scenarios involving a client's expression of feelings of love and sexual attraction toward the therapist. The scenarios differed by diagnosis of the client (adjustment disorder versus histrionic personality disorder) and students were asked about their comfort level in discussing how to manage this situation with either their supervisor, personal therapist or trusted colleague when the feelings of sexual attraction in therapy were mutual versus non-mutual. They also indicated their comfort level in discussing their client's feelings in the treatment, and continuing to treat the client versus referring the client out under these varying conditions. Overall students felt comfortable discussing a case with their supervisor, however students' comfort level was significantly higher when feelings of attraction were non-mutual. Students felt most comfortable talking with their own therapist relative to either their supervisor or a colleague about these cases. When feelings of sexual attraction were mutual, students were much less comfortable referring out the client diagnosed with a histrionic personality disorder compared to the client diagnosed with an adjustment disorder. Students reported feeling comfortable discussing a client's feelings of sexual attraction with the client regardless of type of diagnosis and whether those feelings were mutual or non-mutual. Students were more comfortable continuing therapy when feelings of sexual attraction were non-mutual than mutual. Implications for training regarding management of these issues are discussed.
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