The Erotic Encounter
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9021384 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Peggy J Kleinplatz (0000-0003-0886-4869, 161 Frank St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2P 0X4., corresponding author) |
| Year | 1996 |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 105-123 |
| Publication date | 1996-07-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Humanistic Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-1678 • E-ISSN: 1552-650X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00221678960363008 |
| OpenAlex | W1973371231 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 11 |
| References cited | 7 |
What is the nature of eroticism? What is the role of eroticism in sexual interaction? The answers to these questions are explored as are their implications for the understanding and treatment of sexual desire problems. To the extent that sexuality has typically been defined in the sex therapy literature in terms of a pattern of physiological and observable, behavioral events, the phenomenology of erotic experience has been overlooked. Eroticism involves the intent to contact and arouse another. The erotic experience is to be found with a partner who values enhancing sexual pleasure for each other for its own sake rather than as a means to a goal, for example, tension release, orgasm, intercourse. The erotic encounter involves the shared exploration of sexual wishes, dreams, and fantasies. It is argued that eroticism is a central component in the maintenance of sexual desire. The absence of eroticism is linked to the prevalence of chronic sexual dissatisfaction and inhibited sexual desire among those who are otherwise fully functional. The taboos surrounding sexual arousal and the seeking of sexual pleasure are examined. The value of eroticism for the individual and the couple is discussed in terms of deepening of self-knowledge, self-affirmation, mutual trust, and intimacy. Implications for clinicians are addressed. A shift in paradigms is recommended from the prevailing one, focusing on sexual function versus dysfunction, to another that emphasizes the potential for sharing erotic experience
Arousal · Developmental psychology · Eroticism · Human sexuality · Orgasm · Pleasure · Psychoanalysis · Psychosexual development · Psychotherapist · Sexual arousal · Sexual desire · Sexual dysfunction · Sociology · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Gender Studies · Psychology · Sexual function and dysfunction studies · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology · Social Psychology
Sex and Gender Identity Disorders
Transforming sex therapy
Barriers to Intimate Sexuality
The gaze of affirmation
What Do Young, Canadian, Straight and LGBTQ Men and Women Learn About Sex and from Whom
Bare’ing it all for the Camera
Stepping Out from Behind the Lens
What is it Like to Be a BDSM Player? The Role of Sexuality and Erotization of Power in the BDSM Experience
On the Outside Looking In
Sex Therapy for Vaginismus
Learning from Extraordinary Lovers
| Citations per year | 0.37 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1996 - 2021 (26) |
| Highly cited | No |