The erotic and sexual aspects of intimate relationships are embedded in pervasive cultural assumptions. Therapists working with intimate relationships are frequently confronted with issues regarding the loss of erotic intimacy, differences in levels of sexual desire and responsiveness, and the existence of intimate relationships outside the primary one in which erotic intensity is experienced more fully. These issues and others related to erotic intimacy cannot be addressed without having the tools for deconstructing the dominant and pervasive discourses within which these problems exist and are perpetuated. An approach derived from an integration of narrative therapy and relationship enhancement therapy can be helpful to couples in developing a shared understanding of erotic experience that is experientially true for each person. This approach is described in the context of its theoretical rationale, and two case examples are given.
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