The Sexual Phantasies of the Psychotherapist and Their Use in Therapy

• Published in: The Journal of sex research 1966-11, Vol.2 (3), p.219-226
• Main Author: Cohn, Ruth C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Fantasy/Fantasies; Psychotherapy/Psychotherapeutic; Sexual/Sexuality/Sexually
• ISSN: 0022-4499; 1559-8519

Sexuality, as one of the major life-forces, finds representation in the human fantasy life. Therefore, recognition of the therapist's & patient's sexual fantasies must be appreciated as an important element in therapeutic processes. The therapist, when he works well, is geared to the patient's needs. He is open to stimuli coming from his perception of the patient, as well as to stimuli coming from within himself; they include hyp's, practical, therapeutic, & relevant personal experiences, & spontaneous fantasies. The patient's COMM's stimulate the intrapsychic work of the therapist. This includes his sexual fantasies which are likely to be meaningfully related to the patient's problem constellation. The therapist's emotional skill rests upon his ability to produce, recognize & sift his emotional experiences with regard to their realistic meaning of recognition of the patient's reality. Faulty intuition is error. Unrelated or falsely interpreted fantasies are autistic psychol'al products, not recognition. In undisturbed therapeutic relationships, the therapist's fantasies remain fluid with the progress of the patient. It is often more difficult for therapists to be aware of homosexual than heterosexual fantasies. However, even the predominantly heterosexual therapist can have homosexual fantasies, eg, by pretending to be a member of the opposite sex or by promoting fantasies of living out one's own potential homosexuality. Practical examples are given of how the therapist's sexual fantasies can be used constructively in the therapeutic process, be it in the therapist's psychoanalytic way of self-recognition or in the experiential way of selective COMM. AA.