P*dophilia: Sexual responsiveness to the child's body schema.

In sexual therapy practice, we encounter a variety of different concerns, some of which are particularly difficult to name. One of these sensitive issues is sexual responsiveness to children’s body schemas (also known as p*dophilia) – a topic that is associated with great shame, fear and insecurity for many of those affected.

In this article, I would like to offer potential clients who feel addressed an initial safe space to understand: You are not alone with your worries – and there are therapeutic ways to deal with them responsibly.

Who might come to my practice with this issue?

The people who come to me are very different. What unites them is often the need to finally be able to talk openly about what they are experiencing inside – without being immediately judged. Possible concerns could be

• Unwanted sexual fantasies or impulses directed at childlike characteristics, causing great fear of being „dangerous“ or „abnormal“.
• Deep feelings of shame or guilt due to inner impulses that do not correspond to one’s own ethical self-image.
• The conscious search for support to ensure that boundaries are not crossed.
• Uncertainty about one’s own sexual identity and questions about where these impulses might come from.
• Processing one’s own childhood traumas, which may have an unconscious influence on today’s sexual experience.

Clients often report that they have been struggling with themselves for a long time, feeling ashamed and unable to confide in anyone – for fear of being judged or even of legal consequences.

What can you expect in therapy?

In my sexual therapy work, I offer you a protected environment in which you can express everything that moves you – without moral condemnation. At the same time, I work on the basis of clear ethical principles:

• Space for honest self-exploration: you are allowed to learn to understand where your impulses come from and what they mean.
• Strengthening your self-control and accountability: Together we develop strategies that help you to clearly maintain your boundaries and live your values.
• Working on shame, guilt and self-image: Many clients need support to develop a positive, self-efficacious image of themselves again.
• Therapeutic processing of possible personal injuries: If your responsiveness is related to your own experiences in childhood or adolescence, we create space for processing and relief.

It’s not about judging yourself for your inner impulses. It’s about looking at them honestly, understanding them and dealing with them safely – in line with your own moral values.

Why it’s courageous to get help

It takes enormous courage to approach a therapist with this issue. Many of my clients experience great relief after the first few sessions: finally, they no longer have to carry this burden alone. They can finally learn to understand themselves instead of just judging themselves.

Therapy here does not mean „making impulses go away“, but leading a conscious, responsible life – with clarity, dignity and respect for yourself and others.

Final thoughts

If you find yourself in parts of this text, I would like to say to you: it is good that you are looking. And it is courageous to seek help. Change doesn’t start with being perfect – it starts with being honest.

I am happy to accompany you on this journey – respectfully, trustingly and clearly.