As understudy to our mother, we form an internal compass that directs our desires and feelings about our body by watching her. Many of us feel confused as our body develops and we first feel sexual desire. Caught in a sexual and social double bind that asks us to be good (saintly, pure, and sacrificial) and bad (sexy, erotic, and seductive) at the same time, we aren’t sure how to navigate erotic feelings in a healthy manner. When our mother hasn’t made peace with this double bind herself, we are on our own to find other guides.
