C. Paxton et al., The nature of professional training and perceptions of adequacy in dealingwith sexual feelings in psychotherapy: Experiences of clinical faculty, ETHIC BEHAV, 11(2), 2001, pp. 175-189
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.