Revisiting Psychic Bisexuality

Revisiting Psychic Bisexuality: The Feminine Within explores the complexities of psychosexual development from a psychoanalytic perspective, challenging traditional ideals and theories.

Viewing the feminine and the masculine as an interdependent dyad in the human psyche, this book examines the construction of identity, as well as the sexual identification process. Considering inter- and intrapsychic dynamics, the chapters explore the relationship between analyst and analysand, looking at how various perspectives on the identification process of the masculine and feminine can challenge the analytic process. Focusing on classic and contemporary psychoanalytic theories, the chapters approach the phenomenon of psychic bisexuality as a mediating and mental function and work to find a model that fits with contemporary Psychoanalysis and life in the twenty-first century. Based on the universal idea that each element of the analytic pair carries inside his/her idiosyncratic experience of the feminine/masculine relationship, and that the analytic pair is engaged in an ongoing unconscious communication, the global cohort of contributors invite psychoanalysts working today to expand their viewpoints and move beyond the traditional psychoanalytic frame to better help their clients.

This book is an invaluable resource for all mental health practitioners, as well as those in education and social care, looking to reflect on the vicissitudes of psychosexual development.

Author Biography

Ana Teresa Vale is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst living and working in Lisbon, Portugal. She was COWAP’s European representative between 2021 and 2025, and a member of the editorial board of the Portuguese Psychoanalytic Journal. She is co-editor of the book Pregnancy, Assisted Reproduction and Psychoanalysis, published by Routledge in 2025.

Nadja Tröger is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst living and working in Lisbon, Portugal. She is the COWAP Link for the Portuguese Psychoanalytical Society and a member of the editorial board of the Portuguese Psychoanalytic Journal.