SIPRe in the international context: contributions at the International Federation of Psychoanalytic Societies (IFPS) Forum
17 July 2025
Vol. 36 No. s1 (2025)
Traumatic sexuality: a dialogue between neuroscience and psychoanalysis
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This paper explores the complex relationship between childhood sexual abuse and the development of sexual dysfunctions in adulthood through an integrated lens that brings together psychoanalysis, neuroscience, and sexology. Traumatic experiences of abuse can disrupt the vital connection between mind and body, often resulting in dissociative symptoms and somatic pathologies. Within the sexual domain, these traumas may resurface as painful memories, dissociation, or sexual dysfunctions. Neuroscientific insights – particularly those concerning autonomic dysregulation and implicit memories – highlight how trauma is inscribed in the body, offering clinical guidance that complements psychoanalytic theory. Building on the contributions of Freud, Ferenczi, and contemporary authors such as Mucci, the paper underscores the importance of therapeutic approaches that address both the psychological and bodily dimensions of trauma. The analytic relationship, grounded in safety, empathy, and right-brain mirroring, can help restore a sense of self, agency, and relational intimacy. Ultimately, psychoanalytic therapy can facilitate the integration of dissociated experiences, enabling deep empowerment and a return to a more unified and embodied subjectivity.
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Traumatic sexuality: a dialogue between neuroscience and psychoanalysis. (2025). Ricerca Psicoanalitica, 36(s1). https://doi.org/10.4081/rp.2025.1039
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