ABSTRACT
BDSM is an emerging phenomenon in mainstream society and, according to ethnographic research, is significantly misrepresented in the media (Ortmann & Sprott, 2013; Taylor & Ussher, 2001). The publication of E. L. James’s novel Fifty Shades of Grey (2011) is one example of how unreliable sources lead to profound confusion and controversy within professional communities. Hollywood’s rendition of BDSM as scandalous titillation precedes public and professional understanding of what this alternative sexual expression truly entails (Allen, 2013). BDSM is also more likely to be misunderstood and pathologized by behavioral health professions. In particular, professional psychotherapists have contributed to the perpetuation of stereotypes by codifying uninformed personal bias and opinions into interventions purported to be therapeutic for this population. This codifying process is very similar to the historical interventions and treatments for people who are homosexual.
