Sexual misconduct and enactment.
Sexual misconduct remains a significant problem in the behavioral health professions. Although it is tempting to view sexual misconduct as perpetrated by "bad" clinicians against patients who are "victims," this is an oversimplification of a complex problem. In this article, the author explores the psychoanalytic concept of enactment as a mechanism that can lead well-meaning clinicians to engage in sexual misconduct; defines enactment and differentiates it from near neighbor phenomena; uses case examples to illustrate how enactments may lead to sexual misconduct or may offer opportunities to deepen and enhance psychotherapeutic work; and offers recommendations for prevention of sexual misconduct.
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Erik H. Erikson Institute for Education and Research, Austen Riggs Center, Stockbridge, MA 01262, USA. admit@bcn.net
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D014167:Transference, Psychology