Sexual aversion disorder: a case study, conceptualised and treated from a psychodynamic perspective

Abstract

This article relies on psychoanalytic theory and technique to examine the dynamics of a couple with a sexual aversion disorder in one partner and to provide treatment. It uses the language of object relations, including Ogden’s (1989a,b) reformulation of Freud’s notions about the oedipal complex. In doing so, it defies the popular trend in sex therapy to employ behavioural methods, as well as the less commonly used approach to integrate psychoanalytic with behavioural techniques. The outcome supports the prospect of psychoanalytically oriented therapists reclaiming sexual difficulties as entities that are within the domain of their clinical expertise. Additionally, it adds to the literature on sexual desire disorders and because the partner, in this case, who presents with the sexual problem is male, it counters commonly held myths about male sexuality and recognises the complexity of their sexual functioning.