ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a composite case constructed from several psychoanalytically-oriented psychotherapies that were conducted with Christian or Catholic priests. It presents this composite to illustrate a more common type of exploitation, that being sexual misconduct in the context of an intense "love" affair with a parishioner. The essence of the misconduct derives from the asymmetric power distribution in the relationship and the priest's opportunity to exploit that imbalance. Fr. J, a priest in his 60s, came to his first session stating that he is a sex addict. He spoke of the extensive support system that Sex/Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) provided him and wondered if the psychoanalytic treatment would be compatible with it. Fr. J's psychologically informed explanation of the priest's psychology, the predator who was excused as a trauma victim himself, was a familiar defense. He would admonish himself for his sins, in effect using the recognition of his exploitation as a weapon against himself.
