Psychoanalysis--Practice, Sexual orientation 

This book bridges psychoanalytic thought and sexual science. It brings sexuality back to the center of psychoanalysis and shows how important it is for students of human sexuality to understand motives that are often irrational and unconscious. The authors present a new perspective about male and female development, emphasizing the ways in which sexual orientation and homophobia appear early in life. The clinical section of the book focuses on the psychodynamics and treatment of homophobia and internalized homophobia. Editorial Reviews Review [H]ighly recommended because it presents a broad and encompassing view of current neurobiological research into sexual orientation. Further, it highlights in considerable detail a number of noteworthy, complicated clinical issues such as internalized homophobia, disclosure of the therapist's sexual orientation, the power of sexual fantasy, and gender development. (Robert F. Tyminski Journal of Analytical Psychology) [Friedman and Downey] have effectively documented the carnage caused by the current antagonism toward homosexual relations in males. (Michael Ferguson Journal of Homosexuality) Friedman and Downey not only make an important contribution to psychoanalysis; they have in addition begun the process of making psychoanalytic therapy relevant to the treatment of homosexual individuals.... It would be difficult to think of any other recent book that makes such an important contribution to the revision of psychoanalytic theory while advancing the therapeutic potential of psychoanalysis in the treatment of gay and lesbian individuals. (Henry J. Friedman American Psychoanalytic Association) The most clear thinking, completely erudite, and unbiased presentation of sexual research... that has yet been written. (Roman N. Anshin, M.D. American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry) [Richard C. Friedman and Jennifer I. Downey] have been at the forefront of the movement within psychoanalysis challenging previously orthodox ideas.... Friedman and Downey accurately discuss the dangers of psychoanalytic theorizing divorced from basic science and insist on a systems approach to human sexuality that integrates clinical and theoretical understanding. (American Journal of Psychiatry) A fascinating book.... A vital contribution to the ongoing dialogue about how sexual desire arises from the interplay of human constitution and the human proclivity for love, fantasy and sexual expression. (Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease) Review This book holds particular interest for anyone concerned with or responsible for the care of children. Parents, teachers, pediatricians, as well as therapists will benefit from the discussion of developmental research that makes even psychoendocrinology an understandable part of the child's endowment and world. Discussion of the different developmental tracks of boys and girls focuses on implications for the development of homophobia in each sex and thus makes an important addition to our understanding of the middle school and subsequent years. (Judith Schacter, M.D., past president, American Psychoanalytic Association) A masterful synthesis of current research on homosexuality, both male and female, and a focused exploration of the influences of cultural biases and ideological commitments on scientific inquiry and clinical practice in this field. With rich clinical illustrations, they examine the genetic, neurobiological, psychodynamic, and psychosocial factors codetermining core sexual identity, gender role identity, and object choice at both a theoretical and a practical level. This book raises challenging questions for psychoanalysis as well as for the present explosion of neurobiological research and is a must for clinicians as well as researchers. (Otto F. Kernberg, M.D., former president, International Psychoanalytic Association) An extraordinary book! Drawing upon a vast, varied and fascinating body of neurobiological, psychological, sociological, and anthropological scholarship while wielding formidable skills, sensitivities and insights gleaned from extensive clinical experience, psychiatrists Richard Friedman and Jennifer Downey bring light and lucidity to our understanding of sexual orientation in men and women. (Stuart Yudofsky, M.D., editor, Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences) This is a truly remarkable book. In clear, compelling language, Friedman and Downey present a balanced, thoughtful, scholarly review of an important and complex yet often highly charged subject. They review scientific studies of genetic and biological factors relevant to sexual orientation and gender role behavior against a backdrop of historically influential psychoanalytic theories. Refreshingly, the authors present their own multidetermined, revisionist position based on scientific evidence, the ideas of persuasive thinkers, and their own clinical experience. Illustrative case material links new scientific knowledge with consulting room experience. This is a gem of a book that every clinician should read. (John M. Oldham, M.D., senior vice president and chief of staff, The Menninger Clinic, and professor, Baylor College of Medicine) Friedman and Downey tackle a subject that has elicited enormous controversy and conflict, both within and outside of the psychoanalytic community. This volume provides a unique and thoughtful blend of clinical and scientific expertise and will be of great interest to the practicing clinician, the laboratory researcher, and the scholar in the social sciences who seeks a sophisticated understanding of sexual orientation development (Kenneth J. Zucker, Ph.D., editor, Archives of Sexual Behavior) Brilliant and original, this pioneering book by the eminent scholars Friedman and Downey synthesizes modern knowledge about sexuality with psychoanalytic developmental theory. Its engrossing clinical section provides the gold standard for the pyschotherapeutic treatment of gay men and lesbians with internalized homophobia. This book is a joy to read and offers a blueprint for the way psychoanalysts and psychotherapists should think about human sexual orientation. (Harold I. Lief, M.D., emeritus professor of psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania) This is a brilliant book. Friedman and Downey have seen the flaws in Freudian theory and have had the courage to point up the shortcomings of earlier assumptions. They then present a revised theory that is a model for our time, a ground-breaking work that will serve to guide us in our thinking about sexuality in all its aspects as we enter the new century and millenium. (Michael Stone, M.D., Columbia University)