I know, off topic for me, but why not… 

Did you know that Freud started out studying neurology?  He was studying under Dr. Charcot in Paris when he came up with the idea that hysteria didn’t stem from biological issues but from emotional ones.  Rather radical idea for that time.  However, because of Freud’s sudden interest in the mind from a psychological standpoint, we have psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, and several other ideas/therapies that came about from his original ideas.  Actually, we have Freud’s followers to thank for several of those forms of therapy (such as his daughter, Anna, and Carl Jung).

OK… so Freud was a little obsessed with inappropriate sexual thoughts and feelings.  Obviously he had some personal issues to work through, but aside from that, he really did have great insight into the mind for that period of time.  After all, we wouldn’t have “talking therapy” today if it weren’t for him. 

Now… you may ask, why on earth is a romance writer interested in psychology?  Simple.  How can you have well-rounded characters if you don’t understand the psychological make-up of personality?  It’s hard to create a person from scratch if you don’t first understand what makes a person tick.  Another thing we can thank Freud for — defense mechanisms.  And let’s face it, at one point another in just about every romance novel, someone uses a defense mechanism for something (repression, denial, etc.).  It’s easier to write those scenes and provide actions for your characters if you know a little more about the subject matter. 

At least, that’s this author’s humble opinion.