Ackerman Institute for the Family, New York, New York, USA.
Fam Process. 2022 Jun;61(2):456-475. doi: 10.1111/famp.12767. Epub 2022 Mar 27.
In our work at the Intimacies Project at The Ackerman Institute for the Family we became aware of a gap in attention about sexuality and aging in the couple and family therapy field. In this article, we provide an integrative framework to guide therapists on how to address problems of sexuality and aging in the therapy room. Starting from considerations about the social context of aging and the self of the therapist, we contend that when normative sexual challenges become entangled with stigma, misconceptions about sexuality, limiting gender narratives, vulnerabilities, and defensive postures, they often result in emotional and sexual shutdowns. Through a combination of the vulnerability cycle with an expansive definition of sexuality, we demonstrate how we deconstruct impasses, disentangle normative quandaries from reactive dynamics, and help couples transform their sexual narratives. We outline how we conduct individual sessions to obtain relational sexual histories, utilize Sensate Focus as a mindful touch exercise, and help partners expand their sexual menus beyond penetration and orgasms. We also describe relational skills that may need to be strengthened to help aging couples deal with the ebb and flow of intimacy, sustaining resilience over time.
在阿克曼家庭研究所（Ackerman Institute for the Family）亲密关系项目（Intimacies Project）的工作中，我们注意到夫妻和家庭治疗领域对性和衰老问题的关注存在差距。在本文中，我们提供了一个综合框架，指导治疗师如何在治疗室中解决性和衰老问题。从对衰老的社会背景和治疗师自我的考虑出发，我们认为当规范性的性挑战与污名、对性的误解、限制性别叙事、脆弱性和防御姿态纠缠在一起时，它们往往会导致情感和性的关闭。通过脆弱性循环与对性的广泛定义相结合，我们展示了如何解构僵局，将规范性困境与反应性动态分开，并帮助夫妻转变他们的性叙事。我们概述了如何进行个体治疗以获取关系性性史，利用 Sensate Focus 作为一种正念触摸练习，并帮助伴侣扩展他们的性菜单，超越插入和高潮。我们还描述了可能需要加强的关系技能，以帮助老年夫妇应对亲密关系的起伏，随着时间的推移保持韧性。
