Transcript Separation-Individuation: Psychological Understanding of Sexuality

Psychogenesis of Homosexuality
& Treatment Protocols
Copyright © Melvin W. Wong, Ph.D. 1996-2002
Melvin W. Wong, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
ChristianMentalHealth.com
220 Montgomery St., Suite 1098, San Francisco, CA 94104
Tel (510) 475-1475
Fax (510) 475-1473
200 Subjects Who Claim to Have
Changed Their Sexual Orientation
from Homosexual to Heterosexual
Robert L. Spitzer, M.D.
Chief, Biometrics Research and
Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University
1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 60, NYS Psychiatric Institute
New York, NY 10032
(Presented at the APA: American Psychiatric Association
Meeting: May 9, 2001, New Orleans, U.S.A.)
Sexual Attraction Scale Mean
(100 = same sex, 0 = opposite sex)
100%
80%
Male
Female
60%
40%
20%
0%
BEFORE
AFTER
Exclusively Homosexual BEFORE
Exclusively Heterosexual AFTER
55%
60%
42% 46%
Male
Female
40%
17%
20%
0%
BEFORE: Exclusively
Homosexual
AFTER: Exclusively
Heterosexual
“Markedly” or “Extremely”
Bothered by Depression
80%
60%
43% 47%
Male
Female
40%
20%
1%
4%
0%
BEFORE
AFTER
Change effort was “Very Helpful”
in…
…feeling more [masculine,
feminine]
…developing nonsexual
relations with same sex
87%
93%
What are the causes of
Homosexuality?
Reference One
Homosexuality: A New Christian Ethic
Elizabeth R. Moberly, (1983 56 pages)
Published by
James Clarke & Co, Cambridge England
British Pound 2.95 (USD $ 9.00)
Homosexuality:
A New Christian Ethic
Shifts focus of debate from symptoms to
root causes
Psychoanalytic Interpretation
“the homosexual condition involves
legitimate developmental needs, the
fulfillment of which has been blocked
by an underlying ambivalence to
members of the same sex.”
Homosexuality:
A New Christian Ethic
She sets the separation between
“homosexual-orientation” from
“homosexual-activities”
She coined the term
“Defensive Detachment”
“Defensive Detachment”
“Same-Sex Ambivalence”
“An Approach Avoidance Conflict”
For Males and Females
Male and Female Homosexuality
Family Tree Diagram
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son-1
Son-2
Healthy Relationship
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son-1
Son-2
Son separates from mom
for psychological
individuation successfully
Healthy Relationship
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son attaches with dad
for Gender-Identity
formation sucessfully
Son-1
Son-2
Healthy Relationship
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son-1
Son-2
Son separates from mom
for psychological
individuation successfully
Healthy Relationship
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son attempts to attach
to father for GenderIdentity formation
Son-1
Son-2
Unhealthy Relationship Begins
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son’s attempts to attach
to father was rebuffed
and he experiences
rejection and hurt
Son-1
Son-2
Unhealthy Relationship
Defensive Detachment Begins
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son’s attempts to defend
against more pain from
rejection by defensively
detaching from father’s
relationship emotionally
Son-1
Son-2
Reference Two
Reparative Therapy
of Male Homosexuality
A New Clinical Approach
Joseph Nicolosi, Ph.D. (1991, 355 pages)
Published by
Jason Aronson Inc. New Jersey, London
$32.00
Reparative Therapy
of Male Homosexuality
“Reparative”
Homosexuality as a “Reparative Drive”
“Defensive Detachment”
Failure of the Father-Son Bond
Failure of the Father-Son Relationship
Reference Three
The Psychological Birth of the Human Infant
Symbiosis and Individuation
Margaret S. Mahler,
Fred Pine & Anni Bergman
(1975 308 pages)
Published by
Basic Books, Inc. Publishers, New York
(Hardcover USD $45 Paperback $22)
The Psychological Birth of the
Human Infant Symbiosis and Individuation
• Beginning of Gender Identity is 21 months
– Boys turn to fathers to gender identify (p. 106)
– Boys struggles with castration anxiety
• Task of becoming a separate individual for
little girls are more difficult than boys
– Girls turn to mother upon discovery of sexual
difference
– Girls blame, demand, ambivalent toward mom
Gender Identity Disorder: Age of Onset
• “By late adolescence or adulthood, about threequarters of boys who had a childhood history of
Gender Identity Disorder report a homosexual or
bisexual orientation, but without concurrent
Gender Identity Disorder.” (DSM IV)
• Most of the remainder reports a heterosexual
orientation, also without concurrent Gender
Identity Disorder.
• The corresponding percentages for sexual
orientation in girls are not known.
Gender Identity Disorder: Age of Onset
• “Onset of Cross-Gender Interests and activities is
usually between ages 2 and 4 years” (DSM IV)
• Average age for a clinical referral is 3.5 yrs(Rekers, G.)
• Only a very small number of children with Gender
Identity Disorder will continue to have symptoms
that meet criteria for Gender Identity Disorder in
later adolescence or adulthood.
• Most children with GID display less overt crossgender behaviors with time, parental intervention,
or response from peers.
Healthy Relationship
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son-1
Son-2
Son separates from mom
for psychological
individuation successfully
Healthy Relationship
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son attempts to attach
to father for GenderIdentity formation
Son-1
Son-2
Unhealthy Relationship Begins
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son’s attempts to attach
to father was rebuffed
and he experiences
rejection and hurt
Son-1
Son-2
Unhealthy Relationship
Defensive Detachment Begins
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son’s attempts to
defend against more
pain from rejection by
defensively detaching
from father’s
relationship
Son-1
Son-2
Unhealthy Relationship
Defensive Attachment Begins
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son-1
Son-2
Son has no choice but
to re-attach with mom
for emotional security
Unhealthy Relationship
Defensive Attachment Continues
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son-1
Son-2
Son has no choice but
to re-attach with mom
for emotional security
Forming Defensive
Attachment
Unhealthy Relationship
Defensive Attachment Intensifies
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son-1
Son-2
Son generalizes
defensive detachment
to defensively attach to
girls and women: Nonaggressive & softer
Unhealthy Relationship
Defensive Attachment Intensifies
Father
Mother
Daughter
Girl 1
Girl 2
Son-1
Son-2
Generalization
intensifies. Father
becomes a stanger
Unhealthy Relationship
Defensive Attachment Intensifies
Father
Mother
Daughter
Girl 1
Girl 2
Son-1
Son-2
Generalization
intensifies. Men are
unfamiliar
Girlfriend
Unhealthy Relationship
Defensive Attachment Solidifies
Grandma
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son-2
Son-1
Men are objectifiedcurious-sexualized
Girl 1
Girl 2
Girlfriend
Unhealthy Relationship
Defensive Attachment Solidifies
Aunt 1
Grandma
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son-2
Son-1
Men are objectifiedcurious-sexualized
Girl 1
Girl 2
Girlfriend
Specific Male Treatment Issues
(Copyright © Melvin Wong, Ph.D. 2000)
Ideations: Reduction of Intrusive Thoughts
• Explain thought origin, validation not encouragement
– Desperate crave for intimacy and acceptance
• Develop insight into precusors of thoughts: HALT
• Re-interpret to reframe the meaning of the thoughts
– Neediness and affirmation needs
• Re-direct thoughts with more competitive thoughts
– Accountability partner-tell a friend
• Medication: SSRI’s (Selective-Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors)
– Fluoxetine:Prozac, Sertraline:Zoloft, Paroxetine:Paxil
Specific Male Treatment Issues
(Copyright © Melvin Wong, Ph.D. 2000)
Behaviors: Reduce Mastubation & Acting-Outs
• Goal is to reduce frequency and intensity
• Check-in with client weekly: Accountability
– How did it feel afterwards? “Good but bad!”
• Reduce stimuli: No Cyperporn, chats, media
• Positive-Negative reinforcements
– Commendations, Loss of spouse, rubber-bands
• Medication: Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil help
Specific Male Treatment Issues
(Copyright © Melvin Wong, Ph.D. 2000)
Relational: Increase Male non-sexual friendships
• Reduce same-sex pedestal effect of males
– Develop insight of over-adulation and devaluation
• Develop courage to befriend attractive males
– Sexual-attraction desensitization, ego-stability
– “I’m one of the guys!” “I can’t believe I belong!”
– Learn to keep relationships: reduce jealousy
• Group meetings-activities with guys
– Attend regular self-help groups: EA, SA’s, Exodus
What is Healing & Recovery?
• Presence or Absence of SSA “Orientation”?
– Realistic Expectations: Some Traces of SSA
– Memories Can’t be Completely Obliterated, But
Emotions Can Reduce Significantly
• Degree or Intensity of SSA’s?
– Overwhelming vs. “In Passing” “Non-Dwelling”
• The Recovered vs. The Strugglers
– Addiction Cycles: Presence or Absence?
– Intrusive Thoughts
– Preoccupation & Obsessions
– Secret vs. Honesty
• Litmus Tests: Stressful Times, Unstructured Times
Religious Support Groups
• Exodus International (North-America)
ExodusNorthAmerica.org
ChristianMentalHealth.com
• National Association for Research & Therapy for Homosexuality
•
•
•
•
narth.com
Regeneration Books (Exodus Member) 410-661-4337
Courage (Catholic) 212-268-1010
Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays Pfox.org
Evergreen International (Mormoms)
Evergreen-intl.org