Treatment of young adults with sexual maladaptation

Three clinical cases were presented to demonstrate the capacity to utilize psychoanalytic techniques in the treatment of young adults with sexual maladaptations. Psychoanalytic treatment of adolescents with sexual maladaptation can be gratifying, as the young patient is amenable to the reworking of earlier developmental psychopathology. Where symptomatic sexual disturbance is noted, the pregenital and oedipal instinctual impulses can be creatively examined in a psychoanalytic situation. Therapeutic flexibility and cultural awareness are vital ingredients for a successful outcome.