Human sexuality is a complex developmental system with little research that can provide an understanding of its functioning. The authors explore the way in which childhood trauma affects the bond between the child and the caregiver, which in turn influences the way in which the child responds to stressful situations. Research has shown that the quality of early attachments affects the ability to utilize others as a form of soothing and also affects the capacity for later adult intimacy. The authors show how early childhood trauma and dissociative reactions may disrupt the quality of attachments and have systematic effects on sexual arousal, desire, and pair bonding later in life. Highly individualized trauma-based and integrative therapies are recommended to resolve developmentally overwhelming events and to disrupt the expression of inappropriate sexuality. References