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Sexual Attraction in the Therapy Room: an Exploration of Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists’ Experiences and Training

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Sexual Attraction in the Therapy Room: an Exploration of Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists’ Experiences and Training Nova Southeastern University NSUWorks Department of Family Therapy Dissertations CAHSS Theses, Dissertations, and Applied and Applied Clinical Projects Clinical Projects 2016 Sexual Attraction in the Therapy Room: An Exploration of Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists’ Experiences and Training Rafiah Prince Nova Southeastern University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dft_etd Part of the Counselor Education Commons, Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling Commons, and the Social Psychology and Interaction Commons Share Feedback About This Item NSUWorks Citation Rafiah Prince. 2016. Sexual Attraction in the Therapy Room: An Exploration of Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists’ Experiences and Training. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences – Department of Family Therapy. (13) https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dft_etd/13. This Dissertation is brought to you by the CAHSS Theses, Dissertations, and Applied Clinical Projects at NSUWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects by an authorized administrator of NSUWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Sexual Attraction in the Therapy Room: An Exploration of Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists’ Experiences and Training by Rafiah H. Prince A Dissertation Presented To The College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Nova Southeastern University 2015 Copyright by Rafiah H. Prince 2015 Acknowledgments I would like to start by thanking God for being my guiding light and giving me the strength and courage to complete my Ph.D. There were many obstacles and miracles that occurred during this process that I was able to overcome and embrace with God’s help. Next, I would like to thank my husband, Sheldon, who has been by my side encouraging me to believe in myself, never settle, and pursue my professional goals. In addition, I would like to show gratitude to my two sons, Arthur and Oscar, who were both born during the process of writing my dissertation. I would also like to acknowledge my mother for her hard work and sacrifice in providing me with the strong upbringing and education to be the first in my family to receive a Ph.D. In addition, I would like to thank Denise, my editor and friend, for all of her support. Lastly, I would like to thank my Chair, Dr. Shelley Green, for her support, wisdom, and feedback during the process. Without her guidance this would have been an impossible task. Moreover, I would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Christine Beliard and Dr. James Hibel, for their helpful suggestions, critiques, edits, and support. As this chapter of my life comes to an end, I am overjoyed but saddened to say goodbye. Without the professors and staff in Nova Southeastern University’s Marriage and Family Therapy program I would not have been able to achieve the professional success that I have thus far or, more importantly, help many individuals and families during their most trying times. iv “You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice” - Bob Marley v TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments………………………………………………………………………..iv List of Tables………………………………………………………………………….......x List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………….xi Abstract ............................................................................................................................ xii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION................................................................................... 1 Background ............................................................................................................ 1 Sexual Attraction in Therapy ................................................................................. 6 Insufficiencies in Previous Research ..................................................................... 9 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................ 10 Research Question ................................................................................... 10 Summary .............................................................................................................. 11 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ................................................... 12 Sexual Attraction in Therapy ............................................................................... 12 Boundaries and Systemic Epistemology .............................................................. 13 Sexual Boundaries in Therapy ............................................................................. 17 Boundary Violations in Therapy .......................................................................... 20 Therapists and Sexual Boundary Violations ........................................................ 24 Ethics and Sexual Boundaries .............................................................................. 24 Modern Psychology ............................................................................................. 31 Joining and Attraction .......................................................................................... 32 Gender Struggle ................................................................................................... 34 Gender and Sexual Intimacy ................................................................................ 38 vi Sexual Attraction Documented ............................................................................ 38 Sexual Attraction in Therapy ............................................................................... 40 Summary .............................................................................................................. 47 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ............................................................................. 48 Methodology ........................................................................................................ 48 Research Questions .............................................................................................. 50 Quantitative Segment of the Study .......................................................... 51 Qualitative Segment of the Study ............................................................ 52 Procedures ............................................................................................................ 57 Qualitative Segment ............................................................................... 57 The Survey ................................................................................... 58 Participants’ Protection and Rights .............................................. 59 Limitations of the Quantitative Segment ..................................... 59 Qualitative Segment ................................................................................. 60 Data Preparation ................................................................................................... 62 Data Analysis ....................................................................................................... 64 Quality Control .................................................................................................... 66 Trustworthiness .................................................................................................... 67 Expected Contributions ........................................................................................ 69 Summary .............................................................................................................. 69 CHAPTER IV: RESULTS ............................................................................................ 70 Expressed Sexual Attraction ................................................................................ 73 vii Self of the Therapist ............................................................................................. 77 Multitude of Emotions ......................................................................................... 77 Therapist Attraction Toward Clients ................................................................... 79 Comfort Level ...................................................................................................... 81 Using the Attraction in Therapy .......................................................................... 83 Elephant in the Room ........................................................................................... 85 Setting Professional Boundaries .......................................................................... 86 Therapist’s Social Context ................................................................................... 87 Cultural Experience ............................................................................................. 88 Gender .................................................................................................................. 89 Training and Supervision ..................................................................................... 90 Training in MFT Programs .................................................................................. 91 Not Properly Prepared .......................................................................................... 91 Seeking Help
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