Dear TOK List,
I am writing to share a blog I just posted:
Although I do not normally post on sexuality, I was inspired to do this post after being contacted by Dr. Peggy Kleinplatz [[log in to unmask]]. Peggy contacted me a couple of weeks ago and shared the remarkable work she was doing in
sexuality that I think folks might be very interested in. First, she did an intensive phenomenological investigation exploring what exactly makes for optimal sexual experiences with individuals who identify as having had such experiences. What she found was
very consistent with my framework for understanding human consciousness and relationships (which is why she reached out and contacted me). Namely, the features that give rise to optimal sexual experiences involve, first and foremost, a person getting in touch
with their embodied desires at a deep and authentic level. This often (if not always) means “unlearning” social scripts or proper ways of being sexual, but rather involves connecting with one’s inner organismic (orgasmic?) valuing process, overlapping much
with a Rogerian notion. The next element is connecting with an individual who one trusts and can be romantically and emotionally intimate with. Then both parties explore, playfully and honestly, via both verbal communication and touch, ways to get in sync
with their inner most desires.
What is particularly exciting about this study is that it has now entered the next phase, which involves treating couples who struggle with low sexual desire via the lessons learned from the phenomenological investigation. She has recently
published some very interesting outcome studies on that very important problem and the results were very encouraging.
Dr. Kleinplatz has trouble writing on email, although she follows this list closely. She is happy to chat with individuals who are interested. Her phone number is: 613 563-0846. I have had two lovely and inspiring conversations with her,
so if this is a topic that interests you at all, I encourage you to give her a call. I was particularly interested in this exchange because I saw deep parallels between this research and my own views about depression and how I treat it. That is, I believe
that people have scripts about how they ought to be, and this conflicts with their experiential desires and they turn against themselves. Thus, I think there may be ways to parallel how Peggy learned how to “untangle” and align sexual desires with how to untangle
and align emotional desires more generally. Thus, there could be really broad and interesting mental health implications here. And as a bonus the research is very consistent with humanistic, phenomenological, and experiential views of human nature.
Best,
Gregg
___________________________________________
Gregg Henriques, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Graduate Psychology
216 Johnston Hall
MSC 7401
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
(540) 568-7857 (phone)
(540) 568-4747 (fax)
Be that which enhances dignity and well-being with integrity.
Check out my Theory of Knowledge blog at Psychology Today at:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/theory-knowledge