Historically, such fantasies were pathologised under terms like autogynephilia or autoandrophilia, concepts that have been widely critiqued for their methodological limitations, stigma, and inability to account for the broad spectrum of gendered experience. Contemporary understandings recognise that imagining oneself with different sexual characteristics does not necessarily indicate psychopathology or specific motivations; rather, these fantasies can reflect exploratory, developmental, symbolic, or erotic processes present across many people, including cisgender individuals, and may or may not relate to gender identity.
The self-access class emphasises a non-pathologising, curious, and reflective stance. Therapists learn to explore these fantasies in context—attending to their emotional tone, developmental meaning, symbolic content, and relationship to identity, pleasure, and distress. Some Service Users may engage in these fantasies as part of broader gender exploration; for others, they may simply represent an erotic theme without a desire for social or medical transition. Clinicians are encouraged to distinguish between identity-relevant fantasies, which may offer insight into a person’s felt sense of gender, and erotically motivated fantasies centred on novelty, control, taboo, or sensory experience. Most importantly, the presence of such fantasies alone is not diagnostic of gender dysphoria or an indicator of future transition.
This self-access class introduces Psychosexual and Relationship Therapists to embodied sexual fantasies—fantasies in which individuals imagine themselves possessing the body or sexual anatomy of a different gender. The session also highlights how social shame, misinformation, and prior pathologisation can lead to distress or concealment. Therapists are taught to create safety, validate autonomy, and help Service Users explore desire without assuming meaning, encouraging nuanced discussion of embodiment, fantasy, sexuality, and identity.
This self-access class is a recording of a live event held in May 2026.
Programme Structure
Part 1 — Foundations & Clinical Understanding
- Definition of embodied sexual fantasies; distinction from past pathologising terms (e.g.,“autogynephilia/autoandrophilia”).
- Exploration of developmental, symbolic, and erotic meanings beyond gender identity alone.
- Review of contemporary research critiques and limits of historical models.
- Differentiating identity-relevant vs. erotically driven fantasies.
- Clinical stance of curiosity, neutrality, non-assumption.
Part 2 — Applied Clinical Practice
- Assessment considerations: emotional tone, context, distress, function.
- Working with shame, internalised stigma, and relational concerns.
- Safety, boundaries, and reflective exploration techniques.
- Integrating fantasy into identity or sexuality work without presuming transition.
- Supporting self-understanding and sexual well-being in culturally sensitive ways
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this class, participants will be able to:
- Integrate embodied fantasy material ethically and thoughtfully within Psychosexual and Relationship Therapies, in ways that support Service Users’ self-understanding, relational comfort, and sexual well-being.
About the Trainer
Dr Eli Joubert is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Psycho-Sexologist and Gender Specialist.
He works as Clinical Director for an NHS Mental Health Trust as well as clinician in the Gender Identity Service along with running a busy private practice with his associates. Eli has much experience as a lecturer and trainer, currently providing training as one of a group of trainers to Balkan psychologists and psychotherapist training in sexology. He provides supervision, presents at conferences and has been a past trustee of COSRT.
