SEKSUEL ACTING OUT HOS PROFESSIONELLE BEHANDLERE

om seksuelle forhold i det terapeutiske rum.

Abstract

In the past 20 years a great tabu has been broken: sexual relationships among patients and the helping professionals. In the history of psychoanalysis we find a lot of examples of sexual relating in the therapeutic setting. Psychoanalysis has a tradition of reflecting upon the relationship between patient and therapist, and this might be the reason that sex in the analytic setting has been discussed so openly. In traditional medicin sex among doctors and patients has probably occured frequently, but has not been discussed. Surveys show that up to 10% of doctors have had sexual relationships with patients. In this article the reactions of the patients are discussed. The symptoms are much like PTSD-symptoms: ambivalence, guilt, lability ofmood, shame, flashbacks, sexual dysfunctions, inability to trust, anxiety and anger. The psychodynamics of the offending therapist are discussed. Often sex in the therapeutic setting is an acting out of narcissistic and oedipal conflicts. Finally the princip les of treatment are outlined.