ABSTRACT
Masters and Johnson (1966; 1970), pioneers in the field of sex therapy, emphasized the notion that there is no such thing as an uninvolved partner in treating sexual dysfunctions. Following the lead of the early marital therapists, sex therapists recognized that the couple, rather than the individual client, was the focal point of treatment. This concept continues to be indispensable to modern-day sex therapy. In the early phases of sex therapy, however, the treatment process failed to recognize the systemic aspects of the couple’s relationship, the interplay between relationship and sexual dynamics, and the reciprocal nature of sexual dysfunctions. In fact, one partner was often viewed as the identified patient while the other partner functioned as a cotherapist who facilitated the completion of treatment assignments at home (Masters & Johnson, 1970).
