There’s something about a naked woman that can make a man do strange things.
Like discuss his feelings.
That’s
the theory, at least, behind “naked therapy,” a new psychoanalytic tool
not approved by any professional mental health association, but
practiced right now by a 24-year-old New York City woman named Sarah
White.
“The goal is to show patients I have nothing to hide, and to encourage them to be more honest,” explains White.
“For
men in particular, seeing a naked woman can really help them focus,
look deeply into themselves and speak their minds openly.”
Sessions
begin with White fully clothed. As the hour proceeds, she asks if the
patient (who are, unsurprisingly, mostly male) minds if she removes her
shirt.
Then her skirt. Then her bra and underwear. The patient rarely minds.
One-hour
sessions cost $150, and at first are conducted over webcam. Once a
level of trust has been established, patients can book in-person
sessions, though the price increases fivefold.
The decision to keep one’s own clothes on is entirely up to the patient.
For
my own naked therapy session, I opted to stay dressed throughout our
discussion about my pesky (and life-threatening) problem of nicotine
addiction.
As the naked therapist’s clothes came off, I found
myself “more concentrated, insightful, thoughtful and excited about
exploring [my] life and making positive changes.” Just as White
predicted on sarahwhitelive.com.
I
actually got downright effusive about my struggle with the smokes, as
though I wanted to prove that I could analyze a complicated subject from
every angle.
I was trying to impress her.
White hasn’t
exactly been embraced by the mainstream of psychotherapy. But she has
begun work on a Ph.D. dissertation about naked therapy.
Any
sexual interaction between patient and therapist is considered highly
unethical by the American Psychoanalytic Association, the largest and
oldest such organization in the nation. Even physical contact violates
its code of professional conduct.
But there is no physical
contact in naked therapy. And, as White points out, “It’s not like I’m
having relationships with any of my patients.”
Like discuss his feelings.
That’s
the theory, at least, behind “naked therapy,” a new psychoanalytic tool
not approved by any professional mental health association, but
practiced right now by a 24-year-old New York City woman named Sarah
White.
“The goal is to show patients I have nothing to hide, and to encourage them to be more honest,” explains White.
“For
men in particular, seeing a naked woman can really help them focus,
look deeply into themselves and speak their minds openly.”
Sessions
begin with White fully clothed. As the hour proceeds, she asks if the
patient (who are, unsurprisingly, mostly male) minds if she removes her
shirt.
Then her skirt. Then her bra and underwear. The patient rarely minds.
One-hour
sessions cost $150, and at first are conducted over webcam. Once a
level of trust has been established, patients can book in-person
sessions, though the price increases fivefold.
The decision to keep one’s own clothes on is entirely up to the patient.
For
my own naked therapy session, I opted to stay dressed throughout our
discussion about my pesky (and life-threatening) problem of nicotine
addiction.
As the naked therapist’s clothes came off, I found
myself “more concentrated, insightful, thoughtful and excited about
exploring [my] life and making positive changes.” Just as White
predicted on sarahwhitelive.com.
I
actually got downright effusive about my struggle with the smokes, as
though I wanted to prove that I could analyze a complicated subject from
every angle.
I was trying to impress her.
White hasn’t
exactly been embraced by the mainstream of psychotherapy. But she has
begun work on a Ph.D. dissertation about naked therapy.
Any
sexual interaction between patient and therapist is considered highly
unethical by the American Psychoanalytic Association, the largest and
oldest such organization in the nation. Even physical contact violates
its code of professional conduct.
But there is no physical
contact in naked therapy. And, as White points out, “It’s not like I’m
having relationships with any of my patients.”
