Boston Counseling and Psychotherapy

Transvestic Fetishism: Transvestite Dressing as a Woman; Treatment for Sexual Disorders

August 10, 2008 – 9:55 pm

Portraits

Roger is a real man’s man. Except he has a secret ‘the guys’ would never approve of.

Jim started dressing as a woman when he was just a child. His older sister would dress him as a girl when they would play together. As he grew older, he never grew out of liking to dress in women’s clothing, and now finds it both entertaining and sexually gratifying.

Carl doesn’t just pass for a woman; he’s often the prettiest ‘woman’ in the room—tall, dressed to kill, and a sexy female voice to boot.

Definitions and Key Thoughts

Transvestic fetishism is categorized as a paraphilia by the American Psychiatric Association. A paraphilia is a sexual disorder characterized by socially inappropriate sexual conduct (other paraphilias include exhibitionism and voyeurism).

A person experiencing a transvestic fetish derives sexual gratification from dressing in clothing made for persons of the opposite gender.

Usually persons with a transvestic fetish are men who dress as women. It has been suspected that the majority of persons with transvestic fetish are men because females can often wear men’s clothing without anyone taking notice.

Related terms for a transvestic fetish are transvestism (the practice of having a transvestic fetish), and transvestite (one who has a transvestic fetish).

A transvestic fetish can range from dressing partially in clothing of the opposite gender, to dressing fully, to wearing cosmetics of the other gender, and speaking or using mannerisms of the opposite gender.

Some transvestites appear to be of the opposite gender to the degree that they cannot be distinguished as transvestites.

Persons who are transvestites should not be considered homosexual. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (DSM-IV), most men who dress as women are heterosexual.

Origins and Causes of Transvestitism

Transvestic Fetishism usually begins in adolescents, when boys begin to experiment with the clothing or cosmetics owned by their sisters or mother.

In some cases transvestic fetishism begins earlier, if a mother dresses her son as a girl. This practice is often associated with the mother’s anger toward men, preference of little girls over boys, or in some cases ‘hatred’ of the male gender.

Action Steps and Treatment Plan for Overcoming Transvestic Fetishism

One encyclopedia of mental disorders makes the following points about the treatment of Transvestic Fetishism:

· The use of aversion therapy, and particularly the use of electric shocks has been largely unsuccessful in treatment of transvestic fetishism.

· Persons with fetishes have also been treated by using a form of behavioral therapy known as “orgasmic reorientation.” This therapy attempts to help people learn to respond sexually to culturally appropriate stimuli. This also has had limited success outcomes.

· Most persons who have a transvestic fetish never seek treatment from professionals. A preoccupation with cross-dressing is viewed as essentially harmless to other persons, since transvestism is not associated with criminal activities or forcing one’s sexual preferences on others.[i]

A Desire to Change

Transvestic Fetishism is not an addiction, so often the willingness or desire of one to change their behavior is an effective step in putting transvestism in one’s past.

Also, most participants of transvestite behaviors are capable of achieving sexual gratification without dressing as the opposite gender.

Focusing or brainstorming on how one can experience sexual gratification in more socially acceptable ways will also help one to overcome transvestitism.