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Gestaltreview 4-1-35

Michael Clemmens responds to Leanne O'Shea's article on sexuality in therapy, emphasizing the need for authenticity and awareness of bodily experiences when discussing mutual attraction with clients. He critiques the cultural tendency to move quickly from sensation to action and advocates for a training methodology that includes attention to physical boundaries and touch. Clemmens believes that fostering open discussions about sexuality among trainees can enhance therapeutic practice and support clients in realizing their full humanity.

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Megan Johnson
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11 views3 pages

Gestaltreview 4-1-35

Michael Clemmens responds to Leanne O'Shea's article on sexuality in therapy, emphasizing the need for authenticity and awareness of bodily experiences when discussing mutual attraction with clients. He critiques the cultural tendency to move quickly from sensation to action and advocates for a training methodology that includes attention to physical boundaries and touch. Clemmens believes that fostering open discussions about sexuality among trainees can enhance therapeutic practice and support clients in realizing their full humanity.

Uploaded by

Megan Johnson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Gestalt Review, 4(1):35–37, 2000

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Response to Leanne O’Shea’s Article
“Sexuality: Old Struggles and
New Challenges”


M I C H A E L C R A I G C L E M M E N S, Ph.D.

to find many of the questions and

I
WAS PLEASED AS I READ THIS ARTICLE
concerns that occur for me about sexuality in my work as therapist
and trainer. O’Shea’s discussion of the place of sexuality in the thera-
peutic field is long overdue. In training students, I have observed the
conservatism and silence about sexuality that she refers to in her article.
While in agreement with many of her comments, I want to respond
to O’Shea’s discussion of authenticity and sexuality with trainees and
clients. Second, I want to elaborate the importance of attending to bodily
experience as the fundamental contact point of sexuality.

Authentic and Cautious

O’Shea points to therapist tendency to be cautious and less than


authentic in responding to client’s statement of mutual attraction. What
I disclose about my sexuality is based not only on my own comfort
level, but on other field conditions (the length of time we have worked
together, the client’s history, and their contact functioning). In my own
practice I work with many clients who have been sexually abused or
taken advantage of by those in power. At times we discuss mutual
attraction, but my emphasis in doing this is in the service of the client,
not just in what feels good, right, or honest to me. I am cautious and
curious about the impact on my client of my discussion of mutual


Michael Clemmens, Ph.D. is a psychologist/bodyworker in private practice, teaching
at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland and elsewhere, both nationally and internationally.

35  2000 The Analytic Press


36 MICHAEL CRAIG CLEMMENS


attraction. The part of the field that O’Shea does not acknowledge is
our cultural tendency to move from sensation to action, where feeling

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sexually attracted can lead to immediate intimacy. I find myself work-
ing with clients and trainees to normalize sexual feelings while valu-
ing the distinction between feelings and acting, being sexual, and
verbally expressing sexual feelings. These are all choice points for both
of us.

Body and Sexuality

My experience is that, unless I am aware of my own sensations, body


movements, and energy flow, I will tend to identify whatever occurs as
being about the client. My goal in working with trainees is to help us
be aware of ourselves in our bodies, at this moment, with each other. This is
the phenomenological ground of sexuality. This attention to bodily
experience is sorely lacking in the training of most Gestalt therapists. It
is one means to accomplish what O’Shea is suggesting and needs to be
part of the training and supervision of trainees.

“Sometimes you have to touch, to be in touch”—Tom Cutolo, faculty


member Gestalt Institute of Cleveland

I have a special interest in the author ’s section on touch. As a body-


oriented Gestalt therapist, the more tangible boundary of body and skin
is frequently part of my work with clients. In our culture many people
experience Body as equivalent to Sex. The sensations that sometimes
emerge in powerful training experiences can be highly erotic. What I
would add to O’Shea’s suggestions is a methodology of attending to
the physical boundary that acknowledges these sensations and provides
trainees with some skills to attend to sexual/erotic energy and remain in
contact.
At the Institute in Cleveland the faculty of the Physical Process train-
ing program attend extensively to the boundary of touch, contracting
for touch and the politics of touch. We have developed approaches for
using touch awarefully and collaboratively with students and clients.
Authenticity not only exists for the individual in being true to self, but
also for the client/therapist as a system in being open and respectful.
This is the development beyond “doing my thing” to a contactful,
mutually consentful form of interaction. When we do this we create
opportunity for more discussion of what is unstated or unexpressed,
such as sexual feelings.
RESPONSE TO O’SHEA’S ARTICLE 37


If we want to help our patients to realize themselves more fully as


truly human beings, then we must have the courage to risk the

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dangers of being human [Lore Perls, 1992] p. 121.

The suggestions O’Shea makes for improving or “resexualizing” our


Gestalt training will obviously enhance our work. These steps are
attempts to resensitize therapists/trainees by providing support for
sexuality in training. But trainees will only talk about or acknowledge
what we as trainers and Institutes can explore and acknowledge in our-
selves. Support for discussing sexuality comes from our example. If we
talk about our bodies, our attractions, and our own sexuality, we can co-
create a field with our students that is not shamed or heavily
retroflected.

References

Perls, L. (1992), Living at the Boundary. Highland, NY: The Gestalt Journal.

401 Shady Ave. #104A


Pittsburgh, PA 15206

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