Thank you for the topic Ms. Fae,
I think Freud certainly deserves his place as the father of modern psychology but his theories are antiquated and of course subjective. There is no real reliable evidence to substantiate the success of psychoanalysis as a mode of therapy. Of course his influence stretches much more widely then that, in literary and art criticism for example. His definition of fetish as rooted in the fear and desire present in the mother/son attachment differs considerably from the common understanding of fetish today. Still, there certainly is quite a lot of HOT material there for future role plays;-) I like the original meaning of the word fetish "an object of reverence we subscribe supernatural powers or irresistible powers to." No doubt that erotic self-discovery can be liberating and that repressing certain desires for clothing types, toys, or particular activities due to barriers of religious-based or other shame can cause distress or psychological discomfort. Thankfully we have this forum, the FF, and all sorts of support communities out there.
I think there is a tendency to separate "fetish" from a more inclusive definition of what sex is. Power exchange is just another variation and a means to have a richer,, psychological charged experience to those who are so inclined. .
Without kink and fetish exploration, I think things would have been a hell of a lot more boring for me ! I have been kinky and engaging in BDSM my entire adult life with a few primary and numerous other partners over time and so it has meant a lot of fun, personal exploration, and social connection. I think of myself as wired that way! For years, I didn't buy the idea that "fetish exploration" could be therapeutic in a lasting way but that believe has definitely changed over the past few years especially as I have played with MZ:-) . As another poster eloquently said, it is important for some not to over think attraction and the desire to explore erotic variation, but I have found the self-reflection on interpersonal dynamics and the freedom to play and express freely really valuable. Kinky and fetishist fantasies came along with my sexual awakening in my early teens. If this were a PM, I would go into much more detail but my desire for kink and to act those fantasies out was very strong. My first actual experience occurred around age 18 with a friend who was dating another woman and identified as lesbian. We found ourselves in her mother's outdoor hot tub one night and she began playing with and torturing my nipples. It went on for a long time and it was magical;) I loved both the torturous sensations and the power she had over me. That experience helped me begin the process of accepting that I wanted kink in my erotic encounters. I was quite the raging dresser when I was a young lad/lass;-) But when, despite my fear, I received my first few strokes of a single tail, things changed. I've never had a purely vanilla relationship actually. I eventually began to switch in the SM dynamic and gradually, as I have gotten older, explored the D&S dynamic. Its been at the FF that I have been free to explore submission in a deeper sense with some beautiful, devious, sadistic ladies over the years!