ABSTRACT
Erotic transference is an aggregate of tender, erotic, and sexual feelings that the client feels towards the therapist. An important part of the work on the theme of eroticism lies in spotting the erotic or love experience in the therapeutic relationship itself. An erotic transference is, therefore, a perfect reproduction and we must consider it as the first stage of the reactivation of a developmental process. The expression “erotic transference” is a semantic short cut that hides the shades and textures of an experience that takes many forms. The erotic transference for men seems to be threatening for their masculinity. For the pre-Oedipal personalities, the erotic transference is rather different. Some clients easily accept the regression and the dependence on the pre-Oedipal mother and are less easily accepting of expressing erotic content. The chapter concludes by discussing the three strands of therapeutic competency: reproduction, recognition, reparation.
