2006/01/01 by Margaret Nichols · 4 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · #LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy #Marriage and Sexual Relationships #Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications #Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
paper · doi:10.1300/j082v50n02_14
openalex publication_date 2006/05/02 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
People whose sexual repertoire includes BDSM, fetish, or other “kinky” practices have become increasingly visible, on the Internet, in the real world, and in psychotherapists' offices. Unfortunately, the prevailing psychiatric view of BDSM remains a negative one: These sexual practices are usually considered paraphilias, i.e., de facto evidence of pathology. A different, affirming view of BDSM is taken in this paper. After defining BDSM and reviewing common misconceptions, a variety of issues the practitioner will face are described. These include problems of countertransference, of working with people with newly emerging sexual identities, working with spouses and partners, and discriminating between abuse and sexual “play.”