Arousal: The Secret Logic Of Sexual Fantasies - Softcover

Michael Bader

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0753507390 ISBN 13: 9780753507391

Publisher: Virgin Paperbacks, 2003

Synopsis

Arousal enables both female and male readers to understand their own and their partner's sexual desires. It offers radical ideas about sexual chemistry and explores the different ways in which men and women get excited. Both accessible and enlightening, Arousal is an important, jargon-free landmark in sexual psychology that is invaluable to anyone interested in human relationships.

About this title

Review

"The function of sexual fantasy is to undo the beliefs and feelings interfering with sexual excitement, to ensure both our safety and our pleasure," writes clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst Michael Bader. In Arousal, Bader discusses the role of sexual fantasy as an unconscious problem solver and describes how his patients have come to understand the background, logic, and positive messages of their fantasies. Bader offers case studies of patients (heterosexual and gay) with varied conflicts, and analyzes their sexual fantasies in light of their desires, guilt, and past and current relationships. Most patients, Bader found, are able to resolve their issues by understanding the meaning and logic of their fantasies and then move on to more satisfying relationships.

Bader also interprets common sex fantasies and discusses sexual boredom in ongoing relationships, the power of pathogenic (irrational and self-defeating) beliefs, and sexual fantasies as a therapeutic key to problems that seem independent of sexuality, such as depression.

This provocative book is scholarly yet accessible to the lay reader interested in psychology. Although readers might be drawn in by the gritty, sexy details about Bader's patients, thoughtful readers also will learn about themselves and what their own fantasies may be addressing and revealing. --Joan Price

About the Author

The extremely charismatic and articulate Dr Michael Bader has over two decades of experience as a practising psychotherapist and psychoanalyst. He was until recently the Dean of the Psychology Department at New College, San Francisco. He is a regular guest on West Coast chat shows and contributes to popular culture and psychology magazines.

Edition details

• Publisher: Virgin Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0753507390
• ISBN 13: 9780753507391
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304