Personality change in sex therapy

Lasting symptomatic change in sex therapy is not possible without relevant character change. Character change is most likely to take place in the areas of pleasure, assertion-aggression, and object-relatedness, if the therapy is successful. Such positive changes, however, may be accompanied by negative characterological shifts in the areas of dependency and autonomy. In addition, in failed therapy, existing negative character traits may be reinforced or exacerbated. Character change in sex therapy is brought about by a combination of factors, some familiar from psychoanalysis and some unique to sex therapy. These are, principally, identification, transference resolution, and new learning, both behavioral and cognitive, in a couple format. It is the synergistic effect of the cognitive and behavioral elements of this therapy that catalyzes the treatment process in favorable cases, resulting in accelerated character change.