After the death of Freud, a major thrust of the expansion of psychoanalytic theory involved the increasing recognition that the actuality of the emotional functioning of the object,-the primary objects in the infant's development, the analyst as object in the treatment process-were crucial determinants of developmental and therapeutic outcome. This recognition has been the driving force behind the evolution of various iterations of the role of interaction, inter-affectivity and intersubjectivity...

Kink and BDSM can have healing and liberatory potential for practitioners, whether kink-identified or not, particularly Black women and those who are members of alternative sexual communities. This study presents data from N = 22 kink/BDSM-identified, experienced, and non-kinky/BDSM Black ciswomen on their awareness of and engagement in kink and BDSM (bondage and discipline, sadism and masochism, dominance, and submission). Qualitative data were from Phase Two of The Big Sex Study, a...

A growing proportion of the global population engages in alternative sexual behaviors and relationships, which are commonly grouped and known as kink or BDSM (bondage-discipline, dominance-submission, sadism-masochism). Mainstream stigma and provider pathologizing of these behaviors and relationships may make kink-involved populations reticent to seek health care treatment. Moreover, some kink activities appear to expose kink-involved people to higher risks for HIV infection. To date, no studies...

Existing research finds that people's perspectives on sexual interactions shift with time and new experiences. Despite this, little empirical work has explored the role that communication following a sexual interaction plays in partners' perceptions of each other and the sexual interaction. This study began to address this gap by applying impression management theory and gender performance theory to analyze 40 interviews with BDSM (Bondage/discipline, Dominance/submission, Sadism, Masochism)...