The nature of professional training and perceptions of adequacy in dealingwith sexual feelings in psychotherapy: Experiences of clinical faculty

How do therapists learn to manage sexual feelings in the therapeutic relati onship in an ethical, responsible manner? Data from 293 university-based ps ychotherapists show that the minority who report that their training prepar ed them to do so "very well" were more likely to have received "content-spe cific" training related to the topic or an opportunity to explore themselve s as sexual beings, or both. In addition, they had experience with supervis ors who modeled the belief that sexual feelings are a normal, expected part of any human relationship and must be anticipated and planned for by thera pists.