Trauma, fantasies and sexual intimacy

Journal title INTERAZIONI
Author/s Cristina Calarasanu
Publishing Year 2025 Issue 2025/1
Language Italian Pages 12 P. 46-57 File size 116 KB
DOI 10.3280/INT2025-001004
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation click here

Below, you can see the article first page

If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits

Article preview

FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.

This article aims to address the issue of sexual intimacy in reference to traumatic situations that have blocked the possibility of moving toward full individuation, with disruptive effects over couple links, as the symbiotic functioning and perverse dependence where sexuality is confused with domination and power. A clinical example illustrates the story of an encounter that briefly produced the illusion of miraculous healing, of necessary revitalization. But soon, the desire to live together turned into a markedly violent and tyrannical attempt to survive the melancholically link.

Keywords: paradoxical functioning, symbiotic couple, sado-masochistic dynamic, sexual intimacy, projective identification.

  1. Meltzer D. (1986). Studies in extended metapsychology: Clinical application of Bion’s ideas. Perthshire, Scotland: Clunie Press.
  2. Caillot J.-P., Decherf G. (1982). Thérapie familiale psychanalytique et paradoxalité. Paris: Clancier-Guénaud.
  3. Jaitin R. (2006). Clinique de l’inceste fraternal. Paris: Dunod.
  4. Jaitin R. (1982). Clinica grupal de ninos teoria y tecnica. Buenos Aires: Trieb.
  5. Kaës R. (2008). Il complesso fraterno. Roma: Borla.
  6. Meltzer D. (1971/1974). Sincerity, a study in the atmosphere of human relations. In Hahn A. (Ed.), Sincerity and other works: collected papers of Donald Meltzer. London: Karnac, 1994.
  7. Morgan M. (1995). The projective gridlock: a form of projective identification in couple relationships. In Ruszczynski S.R., Fisher J. (Eds.), Intrusiveness and intimacy in the couple. London: Karnac.
  8. Morgan M. (2019). On being able to be a couple. In Grier F. (Ed.), Oedipus and the Couple. London: Routledge.
  9. Ruszczynski S., Fisher J. (1995). Intrusiveness and intimacy in the couple. London: Karnac.
  10. Trapanese G., Sommantico M. (2008). La dimensione fraterna in psicoanalisi. Roma: Borla.
  11. Winnicott D.W. (1969). The use of an object and relating through identifications. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 50: 711-716.

Cristina Calarasanu, Traumi, fantasie e intimità sessuale in "INTERAZIONI" 1/2025, pp 46-57, DOI: 10.3280/INT2025-001004