Deepening Intimacy in Psychotherapy: Using the Erotic Transference and Countertransference

In this provocative volume, Dr. Florence W. Rosiello addresses erotic dynamics in the treatment relationship within the context of a two-person therapy, emphasizing the necessity of mutuality and emotional reciprocity between patient and therapist. With rich clinical illustrations, she demonstrates how the intimacy created by working within the sexual dimension of the therapeutic relationship may present opportunities for insight and growth that could easily be missed if one seeks to avoid these highly charged issues. Focusing on those patients who are predisposed to relating to others in a sexualized manner, Dr. Rosiello has discovered that mutual exploration of both the therapist's and the patient's subjective experience offers a valuable and effective means of enhancing the treatment.

Florence W. Rosiello, Ph.D., is faculty and supervisor at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy, as well as faculty and supervisor at the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Study Center and the New York Institute for Psychoanalytic Self Psychology. She is in private practice in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy in New York City.