title: Sexual secrets, trauma, and dysfunction.
abstract: The majority of people who present for couple sex therapy have sexual secrets, often involving both past and present experiences. This article explores the most-common sexual secrets, the ways that secrets can subvert treatment, the decision whether to share secrets, techniques for sharing secrets, and the motivating impact on marital trust and sexuality of confronting secrets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, American University, 440 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20016, USA.
authors.forename: Barry W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: McCarthy
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008388:Marital Therapy / Q000379:methods; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D009042:Motivation; D012650:Self Disclosure; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*