Utilizing Hypnosis and Ego-State Therapy to Facilitate Healthy Adaptive Differentiation in the Treatment of Sexual Disorders

Abstract

Much of the literature focuses on the pathology that falls to the far right of the Watkins (1997) differentiation-dissociation continuum, such as Dissociative Identity Disorder and Dissociative Disorder NOS. Adding a “far left” to this continuum, as well as a construct of what the “far left” looks like, makes apparent the value of healthy adaptive differentiation for those individuals that fall to the “far left” of the spectrum; those who don't differentiate enough. A discussion of sexual dysfunction at this end of the continuum and cases of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder and Vaginismus demonstrate the clinical effectiveness of an approach combining hypnosis and ego-state therapy to facilitate healthy adaptive differentiation.

Key Words:

• Adaptive differentiation
• dissociation
• Ego-state therapy
• sexual dysfunction
• sexual self
• vaginismus