Premium
Love and Sexuality in the Therapeutic Relationship
Author(s) -
Gelso Charles J.,
Pérez Rojas Andres E.,
Marmarosh Cheri
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.22064
Subject(s) - feeling , countertransference , psychology , psychotherapist , therapeutic relationship , transference , human sexuality , psychoanalysis , social psychology , psychoanalytic theory , gender studies , sociology
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.