ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the common and, at times, very challenging areas in working with couples: Sexual problems and infidelity. Infidelity is the issue most likely to bring a couple into therapy. An infidelity reveals that the relationship is in much more jeopardy, at a deeper level than is apparent. In terms of the infidelity itself, the affair is seldom a real threat to the primary relationship. The infidelity "protects against hurt and disappointment. According to Masters and Johnson, sexual dysfunction is usually the primary or core issue rather than a symptom of a deeper psychological or relational problem. They believed that pressure to perform and fear of failure are often the causes of sexual dysfunction and that good sexual performance is a skill that can be learned. Although sexual dysfunction and marital distress can operate independently of each other, they often do not.
