Treating patients who develop erotic transferences and working with one's own erotic countertransference create treatment and professional vulnerabilities for the therapist. Discussing sexual or loving feelings in therapy, while risky, can deepen or create emotional intimacy that no other aspect of human relatedness can accomplish. Clinical illustrations of various erotic dynamics between patient and therapist are presented as the author explores this important dimension of practice.

In this provocative volume, Dr. Florence W. Rosiello addresses erotic dynamics in the treatment relationship within the context of a two-person therapy, emphasizing the necessity of mutuality and emotional reciprocity between patient and therapist. With rich clinical illustrations, she demonstrates how the intimacy created by working within the sexual dimension of the therapeutic relationship may present opportunities for insight and growth that could easily be missed if one seeks to avoid these highly charged issues. Focusing on those patients who are predisposed to relating to others in a...