ABSTRACT
One of the great differences between psychoanalysis or analytically oriented therapy and the therapies that are devoted to immediate goals, such as behavior modification therapies that focus on a symptom, is that the former (a) foster the primacy of inquiry and understanding. In analysis and analytic therapy the attempt to understand the patient and his symptoms takes precedence over eliminating the symptom. The therapist tries to arouse the patient’s curiosity and interest in himself as a person, in his past, and in his psychological development. He attempts to get the patient to see himself as more than merely a carrier of a symptom complex to be gotten rid of. Indeed, many detours may have to be taken before the symptoms or the original presenting complaints are dealt with. Frequently, a symptom may be modified even though never directly worked on—a result that is understandable if we recognize how multidetermined and complex symptoms actually are and how much can change if only some of the determining factors are dealt with. One’s self image—how one feels about one’s body, for instance—is crucial in adequate sexual functioning. Changes in sexual experiences can be observed if body-image disturbances are dealt with, although sexual activity per se may not have been worked on.
