ABSTRACT
Historically, sexual attraction toward clients has been considered an aspect of countertransference (i.e., a reaction to the client’s transference; Freud, 1915/ 1983) or to stem from a problem with the therapist (Kaplan, 1977). Recently, therapists’ sexual feelings 5 toward clients have been recognized as a common, although complicated, dynamic involving both realistic and unrealistic reactions that most therapists experience at some point in their professional lives (Gabbard, 1994, 1995; Pope, Keith-Spiegel, & Tabachnick, 10 1986). In fact, research has indicated that more than 84% of therapists become sexually attracted to a client at some point during their practice of psychotherapy (Pope et al., 1986; Rodolfa et al., 1994). The purpose of our study was to examine the process of therapists’ 15 sexual attraction toward clients, the manner in which therapists are able to use supervision to assist them in managing and resolving their feelings of sexual attrac-
tion, and the training they receive regarding such feelings. 20
To date, participants in studies on therapist sexual attraction have been psychologists in private practice (Pope et al., 1986) and in university counseling centers (Rodolfa et al., 1994) and social workers (Bernsen, Tabachnick, & Pope, 1994). A summary of the results 25 of these survey investigations (combined sample sizes exceeding 385) indicated that most therapists have been sexually attracted to at least one client, with male therapists consistently reporting greater sexual attraction than female therapists. Although therapists rarely 30 considered sexual involvement, they occasionally had sexual fantasies about the client. Also, therapists were sexually attracted to physical and psychological characteristics of their clients, and they often experienced discomfort, guilt, or anxiety as a result of having the 35 sexual attraction. Many therapists also perceived the sexual attraction to be, more often than not, beneficial to the therapy process (with nearly half also noting negative effects). Furthermore, many therapists believed the client was not aware of the therapist’s sexual 40 attraction, but most believed that the sexual attraction was reciprocal. In terms of supervision and training, more than half of the therapists sought supervision or consultation at least once, which they believed would involve a positive supervisory or collegial relationship; 45 during their training programs or internships, about half of the therapists had received no, or at best poor, education about issues of sexual attraction.
