就某種意義來說，“性治療”從人類出現的那一刻起就存在了。甚至當對人體及其性反應尚瞭解匱乏之時，牧師、道士、江湖郎中(medicine men)或“明慧女人”(推測起來，此處可能指巫婆——譯者注)試圖用禱告、魔法或某些民間秘方來治療各類性問題。

數個世紀過去了，當人體解剖學和生理學知識不斷積累的時候，這樣的治療才變得更繁複和更有效。但是，正如早前我們提及的那樣，這些治療都是建立在某些無根無據的和從未受到質疑的定勢思維的基礎之上。的確如此，這樣的定勢思維至今仍由許多治療師、也由治療師的病人或客戶所臆造。

性治療中最為常見的無根無據的定勢思維是迷信“自然的”人類的性(human sexuality)(此處，所謂“自然的”，按照西方宗教的觀念就是上帝的，因為上帝創造的世界就是自然的世界，上帝的旨意就是自然的法則。——譯者注)和迷信治療師的公正；而這些治療師同時既為其病人的權益服務也維護他們所生活的社會的權益。(因為，性治療必定會涉及到個人的隱私、性態度、性觀念，而這些有時會與社會公眾的權益發生衝突。所以，著者的暗喻應該不言自明。——譯者注。)

"Sex therapy" in one sense or another is as old as mankind. Even when the human body and its sexual response were poorly understood, priests, shamans, medicine men or "wise women" tried to treat sexual problems of various kinds by means of prayer, magic or some secret potion.

As the human anatomical and physiological knowledge increased over the centuries, such treatments became more sophisticated and more effective. However, as before, they were based on certain silent and never questioned assumptions. Indeed, such assumptions are still made by many therapists as well as by their patients or clients today.

The most common silent assumptions of sex therapy are the belief in a "natural" human sexuality and the belief in the impartiality of the therapist who simultaneously serves the interests of both his patients and of the society in which they live.