An interactional approach to sexual dysfunctions

Abstract

This paper offers an interactional perspective as a broad and practical conceptual framework with which to understand patterns of sexual dysfunction. The theoretical model centers on the power of the sexual interaction as a critical focus for therapeutic change. The model is developed by presenting: the basic sexual interaction cycle, the individual and interactional variables that modify the sexual interaction cycle, and the creation of a continuously changing figure/ground configuration of sexual and nonsexual patterns. At various points in the discussion of the model, initial clinical strategies are derived to illustrate the applicability and advantages of an interactional perspective on sexual relationships.