Psychosexual Stage.
Cosima, being an adult, is in the genital stage in Freud's psychosexual model. Not much is known about her past relationships, unlike her sisters. Though canonically bisexual, she has established an intimate and sexual relationship with a woman. Cosima does all the same things that falls under the genital stage - exhibits affection, attempts to constantly understand and better her relationship, as well as have a healthy sexual relationship - just with a woman. Whether Freud classifies this as satisfying her conflicts, is up for debate.
Fixations.
According to Freud, a fixation is the lingering or focus on a previous stage on the psychosexual model because that particular conflict is unreolved. It could be said that Niehaus has an oral fixation. Cosima, being from San Francisco, is a marijuana enthusiast. On many occasions, she is seen with a joint, or when she is with her girlfriend, a cigarette (which in itself is rare because of her preference of THC over nicotine). Freud would say she is stuck in the oral stage, as she continues to seek pleasure through means of the mouth. A cigar is just a cigar for Freud, just as a joint may be just a joint for Cosima. Freud may also say that she is still in the anal stage, for her desire for order. Despite the weed smoking and eskimo pie binges, Cosima has anal-retentive characteristics. Her lab space is articulately neat and organized always. She feels discomforted if she cannot find a file or a piece of equipment easily or immediately. She was extremely distressed when she was unable to immediately decipher the coding of her genetic sequence. Frustration restrained her ability, leading to further anxieties. Cosima is also very adamant in her perception and understanding in scientific concepts, so the radical and almost nonsensical ideas in the Neolutionist perspective (in which scientific advancements can refine the human species and their survival), strongly challenges her Darwinist views.
