Psychoanalysis and Sexual Issues.

Psychoanalysts were once thought to be experts on sexual issues, but that is less true today. The rift between psychoanalysis and scientific sexology that occurred in the mid-20th century may be partly responsible. In this article, I suggest ways this situation can be remedied. Psychoanalysts can best become more literate about variant forms of sexuality by reading first-person accounts and by garnering information from empirical research and Internet sites for specific forms of sexuality. In addition, psychoanalysts need to examine their own attitudes to different forms of sexuality, make sure they learn a patient's goals in treatment, be honest and open about whether they can help achieve those goals, and pay attention to the difference between psychopathology and societal pathology. In addition, the analyst needs to be aware of how sexual excitement can unconsciously bind erotic experience with other complex emotions and motivations. A case of coercive voyeurism is presented to illustrate these principles. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]