Vivienne Cass Ph.D. Ph.D. - The Elusive Orgasm: A Womans Guide to Why She Cant and How She Can Orgasm

Filled with practical advice and sound suggestions, The Elusive Orgasm is sure to help women overcome the inhibitions or interferences that are preventing them from enjoying orgasmic pleasure. Written with the understanding and knowledge that only an experienced sex therapist can offer, Dr. Cass has produced a book that will prove incredibly helpful to scores of women. I recommend it highly!
SANDRA LEIBLUM, PHD, Director,
Center of Sexual and Relationship Health, UMDNJRobert Wood Johnson Medical School, author of Getting the Sex You Want

An outstandingly readable book, with excellent illustrations. In a thoroughly modern way Dr. Cass provides her readers with invaluable information and advice. Such knowledge enhances the lives of women and their sexual partners. Mothers read this book and then pass it on to your daughters!
ROSEMARY COATES, PHD,
Sexology Programs, School of Public Health,
Curtin University, Australia

The Elusive Orgasm is an important book for all women, their partners and health professionals. It takes a woman by the hand and gently guides her to sexual satisfaction and pleasure. What fun to read!
BEVERLY WHIPPLE, PHD, RN,
vice president, World Association
for Sexology, coauthor, The G-Spot

[A] sexual bible.
OUT magazine

[R]eminds us that orgasms are not essential to good or even great sex.... A very helpful and reassuring book that is more than a guide to having orgasms, it is a book about having good sex. Clinicians who treat women with arousal and orgasm difficulties will find The Elusive Orgasm an extremely helpful adjunct to therapy.
-Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy

The Elusive Orgasm

A Womans Guide to Why She Cant and How She Can Orgasm

Vivienne Cass, PhD

The Elusive Orgasm:
A Womans Guide to Why She Cant and How She Can Orgasm

Copyright 2007 by Vivienne Cass, PhD
Illustrations by Medical Arts
First published in Australia by Brightfire Press in 2004. This edition
published by arrangement.

Published by
Marlowe & Company
An Imprint of Avalon Publishing Group, Incorporated
245 West 17th Street 11th Floor
New York, NY 10011-5300

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher, except by reviewers who may quote brief excerpts in connection with a review in a newspaper, magazine, or electronic publication; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other, without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Cass, Vivienne.
The elusive orgasm : a womans guide to why she cant
and how she can orgasm/Vivienne Cass.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13:978-1-60094-023-1 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10:1-60094-023-4 (alk. paper)
1. Sex instruction for women. 2. Female orgasm. I. Title.
HQ46.C37 2007
613.96082dc22
2006100105

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Designed by Pauline Neuwirth, Neuwirth & Associates, Inc.

Printed in the United States of America

This book is dedicated to my mother,
who has always encouraged and supported my endeavors.

MY HEARTFELT THANKS to the following people, whose skills and support have been greatly appreciated:

Dr. Gwen Leavesley, womens sexual health specialist and previously director of the Family Planning Association in Western Australia, who unreservedly drew upon her considerable experience and knowledge in womens sexual health to review the sections related to sexual medicine and to answer my numerous phone calls, which usually started with, Gwen, have you got a minute.... ? (when I really meant, Have you got much more than a minute....?)

Dr. Levent Efe, medical illustrator, who created the innovative and excellent illustrations, enthusiastically responding to my request that they be helpful to all women regardless of background and levels of education, and patiently attending to my need for everything to be just right.

Dr. Helen OConnell, foremost researcher of the clitoral anatomy, who made time in her busy schedule to check the illustrations against her firsthand knowledge of womens genital anatomy.

Dr. Shona Penhale, the young American medical researcher studying the nerve networks to the clitoris, who willingly shared her research findings with me.

Catherine Hammond, a sharp-eyed editor, who helped shape the manuscript into something I could be proud of, and who gave me support and encouragement well beyond her official role.

Rene Sedliar, editor at Marlowe & Company, who managed, via e-mails, to convey a respect and confidence in my work. My respect and confidence in her are returned in kind.

Lesley and Michael Tunnecliffe from Bayside Books, Jackie Aitken and Lea Smith from WA Book Agencies, and fellow psychologist and bookseller Zish Zimbinski from Mosaic Books for their support and willingness to share valuable knowledge.

Virginia Hailes and Ruth Wykes who, despite dire warnings about the thankless job of proofreading, happily took up the challenge anyway... thank goodness!

And to my family and special friends, especially Debbie, Susan, Robyn, Joan, Anne, Gerty, Margaret, Chris, Di, Clive, Eva, Audrey, Sol, and Shelley, for continuing to ask, Hows the book going? and then patiently listening as I gave them yet another step-by-step account.

I THINK ITS only fair that you know something about me. After all, discussing orgasms is not the same as talking about what to cook for dinner. Wouldnt it be nice if it were that simple? Unfortunately, few of us live in societies where sex is accepted so positively.

So, let me begin with the serious stuff. I started out as a book-keeper, then public servant, then teacher, before becoming a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist. I became professionally involved in the sexuality area at a time when such a thing was considered a sure sign of secret nymphomania (an obsession with sex).

Somehow I survived and have been in private practice now for nearly thirty years (although I cant imagine where the times gone). Ive worked mostly with adults, covering all sorts of psychological difficulties, as well as sexual issues.

Since the 1970s Ive taught courses on sexual therapy at universities and to health professionals and given talks and lectures on sexuality and psychology to community groups, professionals, and the general public. I also give my fair share of media interviews, since (as we all know) sexuality and human relations are favorite topics with journalists and conference organizers.

Also of interest to me is the area of sexual orientation. In 1979 I published the first of over a dozen papers and book chapters on the way people develop the identities of homosexual, gay, lesbian, and bisexual. Happily, my ideas are still being used by therapists and researchers even today.

In the mid-1980s I was asked to set up counseling services in the area of HIV/AIDS and, as a result of my experiences, published a book,