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What Does It Mean to Be “Sex Positive?”

What Does It Mean to Be “Sex Positive?”

Anyone surfing the net looking for sexual information will have probably encountered the term “sex-positive.” Individuals seeking therapists for sexual difficulties will also have inevitably read a therapist profile or bio which indicated that the clinician identified as sex positive. But what does this term mean, especially coming from a therapist?

I will offer a quote from sexologist Carol Queen to get the discussion going–
“Sex-positive, a term that’s coming into cultural awareness, isn’t a dippy love-child celebration of orgone – it’s a simple yet radical affirmation that we each grow our own passions on a different medium, that instead of having two or three or even half a dozen sexual orientations, we should be thinking in terms of millions. “Sex-positive” respects each of our unique sexual profiles, even as we acknowledge that some of us have been damaged by a culture that tries to eradicate sexual difference and possibility.
It’s the cultural philosophy that understands sexuality as a potentially positive force in one’s life, and it can, of course, be contrasted with sex-negativity, which sees sex as problematic, disruptive, dangerous. Sex-positivity allows for and in fact celebrates sexual diversity, differing desires and relationships structures, and individual choices based on consent.”
In my mind, being sex positive at its core means that one’s default position is that sex is natural, generally healthy in all its variations, and can be utilized positively in the service of personal growth and creativity. Now, that of course does not mean that sex can’t be used destructively, just that pathology is never the underlying assumption. For a distinction between the two, click here. (Cliffs Notes version– according to […]

By Michael Aaron|July 3rd, 2014|Sex and Culture, Sexuality and Psychology|0 Comments

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Book Review: The Sober Truth and What It Means About Sex Addiction

Book Review: The Sober Truth and What It Means About Sex Addiction

I recently finished reading a fascinating book, The Sober Truth, by Lance Dodes, which focuses a critical look at the treatment of addictions, particularly inpatient rehab centers and 12-step groups. I’m sure this book will prove to be very controversial, especially in addiction circles, as its main premise is there is no evidence that 12-step groups, or inpatient rehabs (which are mostly modeled on the 12-steps) are more effective than no treatment at all in helping folks to overcome their addictions. In all, research shows that only 5% of those who regularly attend a 12-step fellowship are able to abstain fully from alcohol or drugs in the long-term, which is about the same percentage of those who quit on their own.

As a sexologist, my expertise is not in addictionology, but where my practice does intersect the addiction field is in the area of sex addiction and sexual compulsivity. There is currently tremendous debate whether out-of-control sexuality is really an addiction or a compulsion. For more on this, check out this article which covers recent research in this area. Interestingly, in The Sober Truth, Dodes states that all addictions, yes ALL addictions, and this includes all manner of drug addictions and alcoholism are really compulsions, not addictions. To illustrate his point, Dodes differentiates between physical addictions, where the human body has built up a tolerance and would go into withdrawal if the substance is removed, and the psychological or emotional aspect of the addiction, which looks very similar to a compulsion. Dodes states that it is quite possible to develop a physical addiction without emotional dependence, as well as emotional dependence without physical addiction. […]

By Michael Aaron|June 22nd, 2014|Sex Addiction, Sexuality and Psychology|0 Comments

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Marat/Sade: Some Thoughts on Social Change and Sexuality

Marat/Sade: Some Thoughts on Social Change and Sexuality

Over this past weekend, I was fortunate enough to see a new, more futuristic adaptation of the classic play Marat/Sade performed at the Players Theater in Greenwich Village. As I was watching, I was struck by the realization that many of the ideas as well as the main theme of the piece had much to do with my work as a sex therapist. And so I would like to put some of my thoughts down as a post on my blog, both as a means to clarify them and delve deeper in further exploration.

Marat/Sade originally premiered in West Berlin in 1964 and eventually won the Tony Award in 1966 for Best Play. It is set in the historical Charenton Asylum during the reign of Napoleon, and centers on a play staged within the asylum by the Marquis de Sade and using the asylum inmates as actors. The Marquis de Sade (from whom we have the term “sadism”) was held in the asylum after his arrest for the anonymous publication of Justine and other pornographic tracts. In real life, the director of the hospital did allow de Sade to stage plays within the asylum, often to a public audience. The particular play-within-a-play performed as Marat/Sade focuses on the life and assassination of Jean-Paul Marat, a radical journalist who goaded on the French Revolution, and was eventually assassinated by a member of a rival faction. As the play unfolds, the Marquis pops in now and then to add his commentary to the proceedings.

The central idea of the play is the juxtaposition and contrast between the philosophies of Marat and de Sade. […]

By Michael Aaron|June 16th, 2014|Sex and Culture, Sexuality and Psychology|0 Comments

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Boundaries: The Most Important Part of a Relationship

Boundaries: The Most Important Part of a Relationship

Inevitably, when I work with couples that have long-standing problems in their relationship, I come across a litany of boundary issues strewn along the way starting from the very beginnings of the relationship. For more on why the beginnings of relationships are absolutely crucial, please click here. In this particular article, I want to focus on the very specific but essential topic of boundaries. Typically when people think of boundaries, they are actually thinking of cut-offs, or situations in which such a firm wall is put up that it literally cuts off all further communication or connection. For example, “Don’t call me after 9pm,” is a cutoff; the idea being that there will be absolutely no further phone contact after 9pm. Or “I’m so mad at you that I never want to speak to you again.” Again, I think it’s clear that statement is more of a cutoff than an example of appropriate boundary setting.

So what exactly are boundaries then? The way I see it, boundaries are guidelines that people put in place to allow them to enjoy their lives and relationships better. In this sense then, boundaries are built on internal values. So for example, if someone values his or her free time, then they will set boundaries on how many hours they are willing to work. If an individual values their time (and therefore promptness), they will place a boundary on people showing up on time to meetings and appointments. Again, boundaries are based on values. If we are not clear on our values, we will have absolutely no boundaries. If we don’t place […]

By Michael Aaron|June 9th, 2014|Couples Therapy|0 Comments

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Narcissism and Sexuality

Narcissism and Sexuality

Note: The following article is meant to examine the ways in which powerful negative emotions can combine to form certain personality traits and how that can impact sexuality. It is not meant to pathologize or demonize anyone who struggles with any of these difficulties, but merely to illustrate how problematic emotions can create chronic relational and sexual disturbances. As a therapist, I always take a strengths-based approach, and focus on how the individual can resolve their difficult emotions, rather than what is wrong with them.

Previously, I wrote about borderline personality disorder and sexuality. In this post, I will focus on narcissism. In many ways, narcissism is the jigsaw puzzle piece that is the perfect fit for the borderline. There are many reasons for this. The narcissist is often self-preoccupied and unavailable, which does not set off the borderline’s abandonment fears because the relationship feels like it will never get close enough for the borderline to truly be hurt. While the borderline tends to be more anxious/ambivalent in her attachment style, the narcissist is more avoidant, and it is this avoidancy that feels safe to the borderline. For more on attachment styles take a look here.

As in the case of borderline, there are nine distinct criteria in the DSM for narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), including grandiosity, exploitativeness, envy, and lack of empathy towards others. Again, rather than focus on diagnostic criteria, I’m going to take a look at the core emotions that the narcissist struggles with. While the borderline is consumed with fear of abandonment, the narcissist is primarily motivated by a strong sense of internal […]

By Michael Aaron|June 2nd, 2014|Sex Therapy, Sexuality and Psychology|6 Comments

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Borderline Personality and Sexuality

Borderline Personality and Sexuality

In previous articles, I described how emotions impact and wreak havoc on sexual expression. In the next series of articles, I will go into a little bit greater detail on how these various emotions can come together into very specific and defined characterological patterns and how these personality types can come through sexually. In this particular piece, I will focus on the borderline personality (BPD).

Borderline personality is marked by intense emotional swings, a distinct pattern of relational volatility, splitting behavior (which means seeing someone as either all good or all evil), and an absolute inability to take any responsibility for or have any insight into one’s behavior. The DSM lists nine distinct criteria, of which someone needs qualify for at least five in order to be diagnosed with BPD. I don’t adhere very closely to a purely medically diagnostic model, so rather than get lost in psychiatric diagnoses, I want to focus instead on what emotions someone who is borderline struggles with and how these get played out in the treatment room as well as in interpersonal relationship and sexual expression.

First and foremost, […]

By Michael Aaron|May 23rd, 2014|Sex Therapy, Sexuality and Psychology|6 Comments

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Sexuality and Shame

Sexuality and Shame

In a previous post, I went over the important connection between sexuality and emotions. In this article, I am going to focus specifically on the core emotion of shame, since it wreaks so much havoc on all aspects of our lives, but in particular our sexuality. Shame can be very nefarious, as it is one of those emotions that can become internalized as part of our identity. To understand why, let’s take a look at the difference between two words which are often used interchangeably, but are actually quite dissimilar– guilt and shame. Guilt is an emotion that we experience when we feel bad about something we did. Shame, in contrast, is an emotion that is experienced as feeling bad about who we are. This self-identity aspect of shame makes it into a potentially highly problematic emotion. This is because sexuality, whether we are speaking about gender, orientation, or specific interests or behavior, is often experienced as a central, core aspect of one’s personal identity. If we also experience a great deal of shame, since it touches upon our self-identity, it inevitably also affects the way we experience our sexuality. For this reason, folks struggling with any aspect of their sexuality also frequently struggle with the emotion of shame.

Shame is a very quirky emotion in that different people react to it in different ways. Some folks, for example, will avoid anything that may even remotely evoke feelings of shame. Others, however, react in the opposite, or counterphobic way, in that they are compelled towards situations that feel shameful. For example, exhibitionists, and here I’m referring to the sex offender […]

By Michael Aaron|May 16th, 2014|Sex Therapy, Sexuality and Psychology|2 Comments

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Why the Beginning of a Relationship Determines It’s Success

Why the Beginning of a Relationship Determines It’s Success

This is an article I originally wrote for Singles Warehouse….

If you are just getting back into the dating scene, you may find the process to be both exhilarating and frightening at the same. Exploring the possibilities of love with new people can be very exciting, but can also be frustrating and disappointing when things don’t work out. What most people don’t realize though, is that the dating process is the MOST important part of any relationship. Of course, once you are settled in a relationship, you have to know how to keep it going strong, but if you don’t set the tone the right way at the very beginning, your relationship may unfortunately just be doomed.
Planting the Seeds
As an example, have you ever gone through a long-term relationship that eventually ended and just as it started going downhill, things that were said or done from the very start of the relationship, maybe that happened even years ago, were drudged up and used as ammunition during the breakup process?

If so, if you ever look back at that failed relationship, chances are you’ll be able to see that the seeds of the downfall were planted at the very beginning of the relationship. Girlfriend was overly insecure? Perhaps something you did at the beginning of the relationship exacerbated and stirred up the insecurity. Boyfriend feels unappreciated? Maybe you stoked those fires in the first month.

The First Few Months

The first few months of the relationship are absolutely crucial in determining the eventual direction that the relationship goes. Just as the first few minutes of meeting someone new are crucial in determining attraction, and the […]

By Michael Aaron|May 7th, 2014|Couples Therapy|0 Comments

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The Connection Between Attachment and Sexuality

The Connection Between Attachment and Sexuality

One of the subjects that I have spoken on extensively on over the last few years is the topic of attachment. By attachment, I am referring to the style of interpersonal relating that we have learned and internalized from childhood experiences. According to decades of research, started by psychoanalyst John Bowlby and extended by Mary Ainsworth, among many others, psychologists have identified four main types of attachment styles- secure, anxious/ambivalent, avoidant, and disorganized. The secure attachment style, prevalent in 65% of the population is marked by emotional stability and a childhood featuring stable and nurturing caregiving. Anxious/ambivalent attachment is characterized by obsessive preoccupations about the object of the intimate relationship and intense fear of abandonment. People with this attachment style typically have experienced inconsistent caregiving, and so have grown to feel unsafe in the stability of close relationships. Avoidant attachment is marked by the avoidance of intimacy, as well as of experiencing feeling and emotions. These folks have typically experienced more neglectful caregiving as kids. I will put aside the disorganized attachment for the moment, as it is not very common, and is typically a byproduct of more severe abuse.

At this point, I want to make an important note about what I mean by “intimacy.” I think sometimes folks get caught up in some kind of a rigid idea about what intimacy means, one that is cooked up in harlequin romance books, soap operas, and Hollywood Happy Endings. This involves the kind of romantic closeness, actually known as partner engagement, which involves the typical aspects of what we would all consider as deep and meaningful love making– the pillow talk, […]

By Michael Aaron|April 24th, 2014|Sex Addiction, Sex Therapy, Sexuality and Psychology|1 Comment

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How Emotions Become Sexualized

How Emotions Become Sexualized

In previous posts, I have written at length on the relationship between emotions and sexuality. You can see some of these articles here and here. I think most people can conceptualize how emotions can play a large part in sexual expression, but what most people often don’t understand is how emotions can actually be the primary fuel of sexuality, and in some cases, may even be the source of sexual arousal itself.

When strong negative emotions such as anger are experienced, they feel extremely uncomfortable and painful to tolerate, so the natural human impulse is to escape away or defend oneself from the pain. We may try to distract ourselves from the pain by burying ourselves in work or in seeking thrills such as alcohol, drugs, or risky sex. At other times, we may develop what’s called a counterphobic reaction to the pain by actually courting more of it as a means of building mastery over it. By taking up a counterphobic response we actually adapt strategies to face the pain head on rather than run away from it.

One example of a counterphobic response is what is known as reaction formation, which means taking on an air of overly exaggerated positive affect in response to something that may fear or hate. Examples of this can be found in many social situations. We’ve all seen group situations where people may act as if they are ecstatic to see someone about whom they were just disparaging privately. Other examples of counterphobic behavior would be the individual who becomes a pilot in order to overcome a fear of […]

By Michael Aaron|April 14th, 2014|Sex Therapy, Sexuality and Psychology|2 Comments