Abstract:

Sexual chemistry is a readily recognized construct but one which has received little scientific or empirical attention. The present manuscript defines sexual chemistry as a nonspecific, subjective description of a mysterious, physical, emotional and sexual state that feels driven and mostly pleasurable existing in the context of an interpersonal relationship, a state that is synergistic in being a surprising product of the combination of the individual partners. Its constituent parts are defined in this article and its implications for clinical practice and couple counseling are reviewed. Suggestions for handling the clinical dilemmas that occur when sexual chemistry is missing, lost, or experienced by only one partner are offered.

Keywords: sexual chemistry theories; interpersonal relationship; clinical implications; counseling

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/14681990500387005

Affiliations: 1: UMDNJ - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA