Sexual fantasy as a clinical intervention

This study describes how a sample of six psychosexual therapists regard the use of sexual fantasy in their work with couples presenting with sexual dysfunctions. The study used a qualitative approach, adopting a thematic analysis to explore the common threads in the therapists’ experiences. Five themes emerged from analysis: The importance of fantasizing, Help with fantasizing, Accepting fantasies, Assessing disclosure of fantasies and Partner replacement fantasies as necessary. The research highlights the importance of an informal attachment assessment of the partners before the introduction of fantasy. It also briefly considers the possibilities of an approach to “fantasy training” that takes into account how Schnarch’s concept of “differentiation” might help to promote personal growth and couple intimacy.