Psychoanalysis and Asexuality: An Exploration of The Phenomenon and Implications for Therapeutic Work Using A Psychoanalytic Theoretical Framework

In the past few decades, there has been an apparent rise in individuals who identify as Asexual. Asexuality has been defined as the lack of sexual attraction to anyone or anything. The current thesis explores this phenomenon from a psychoanalytic perspective and considers the possible implications for therapeutic work with Asexual individuals. This thesis incorporates three main investigative tenets. First, the research focuses on the process of the development of, and identification with, an Asexual identity as well as the subjective meaning of this identity for them. Second, it considers the current understanding of the lack of sexual desire within the psychoanalytic framework and proposes three hypotheses in the form of developmental pathways to understand the diverse range of sexual and gender identity expression in the Asexual community. The consideration of these developmental pathways re-evaluates the psychoanalytic understanding lack of sexual desire – beyond a manifestation of psychic conflict. Finally, it considers the implications of working therapeutically with an Asexual client. In doing so, it investigates how sexual inhibition and lack of sexual desire are treated in clinical and therapeutic settings; and examines with the help of case studies how the process may be different (and other practical implications)in therapeutic work with Asexually identified individuals.