The curative power, or healing agent, lies within the client with the
psychosexual disturbance. The therapist acts as a guide. Confused
mislearning and unexpressed feelings within the sexually disturbed
person need exploration and reordering. If an original event or se-
ries of events occurred that interrupted the course of normal sexual
development, the event must be clarified and understood. Only
then can any semblance of normal sexual development and func-
tioning be resumed.

In order to approach and resolve these painful sexual distur-
bances, the client must feel safety. Most sexually disturbed people
are overwhelmed with fear at the outset of therapy. The therapist
responds with reassurance and support. Accustomed to negative
biases against their sexual disturbances, the sexually disturbed do
not usually expect to be liked or accepted. They conceal negative
self-evaluation. In fact, if the therapist generates nongenuine liking
and respect, the sexually disturbed person will respond with disbe-
lief, mistrust, and anxiety. It is unlikely that therapy will occur.
More significantly, the already damaged client will be negatively
affected by exposure to professional hypocrisy.

Most therapists don't like people with psychosexual disorders.
This is understandable. It is hard to like someone who has commit-
ted a sexual crime against a child, or who needs to inflict pain on
an unwilling partner to feel sexual arousal. Therapist distaste for

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