MAKING SEX THERAPY SUCCESSFUL
A patient brings into the therapeutic (and “real life”) situation at least three major aspects of himself or herself: a current sense of self (an ego-concept or ego-awareness), a way of relating to others, and underlying both, a history as a person, starting from the beginning and continuing to the moment before the present. The dysfunctional person, or dysfunctional relationship, is usually dysfunctional in all three areas even if the awareness of the dysfunction is suppressed, and it is the goal of therapy to improve functioning in all of them. Obviously, the past cannot be improved, but one’s attitude toward his or her own past can be altered for the better.
In both inner instinctual drives and external societal expectations, few aspects of the human personality are as strong as sex or as pervasive in all three areas. The sexually dysfunctional man or woman has a damaged ego-concept and impaired awareness, has (usually) over-compensated relationships in one way or another, and cannot assimilate the past. With the sexual dysfunction resolved a central rupture has been healed; the improvement is not on the periphery, to trickle down, but at the core, to affect everything else. The power of the ripple effect derives from both the strength of sex among the determinants of human behavior and its omnipresence in the functioning of the individual or dyad.
One final “ripple” should be noted: successful sex therapy facilitates other therapies. It helps the dyad or individual to accept more easily other therapeutic modalities, being less rigid and more aware of the necessity for change. The improvement in sexual functioning (which is usually accompanied by increased self-confidence and decreased anxiety) helps to create a belief in the therapeutic process and the expectation of a successful outcome. With successful sex therapy as described, in usually not more than sixteen weeks the therapy is terminated, and the dyad feels—in the word most frequently used – marvelous. Dyads in this state of mind approach other problems with zest and determination and a readiness to try anything. Linked with the better ego-concept and dyadic relationship resulting from improved sexual functioning, this attitude immeasurably eases the task of the next stage of the therapy.
*253/187/5*
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.