Are You Sexually Competent?
Yes, you know how to have sex. But do you know how your clients have sex, or why? If they have sexual difficulties, do you know how to help them? Do you ask your clients if they find sex enjoyable, or if they have difficulty finding it pleasurable?
If not, it isn’t surprising. Less than 20% of graduate programs for psychotherapists offer a course in sexuality. This is unfortunate, because psychotherapists are trained to serve the public good—and sexual problems are very common. In my book on sexuality and mental health, I wrote about how sexual problems can contribute to problems with depression, anxiety, substance problems, and eating disorders. Yet, a discussion of a client’s sexual history is often not part of the intake process.
Sex therapy tends to be practiced by highly trained clinicians, many of whom have sought out certification from AASECT—and I am one of them. But there is much that can be done by therapists who are working with all kinds of populations, from low income and minority people seen in community clinics to women receiving postpartum mental health care.
Mollen & Abbott (2021) recently discussed key competencies for psychologists in sexuality, including a range of topics that include sexuality across the lifespan, gender identity and sexual orientation, and varying relationship structures (i.e., polyamory). Content needs to be inclusive of BIPOC and sexual/gender minorities. The attitude is toward a sex-positive framework that embraces sexuality as an important component of overall well-being, with pleasure being a central guiding principle.
This fall, with the new edition of my book What Every Mental Health Professional Needs to Know about Sex, 3rd Ed., LearnSexTherapy.com by The Buehler Institute will be launching a series of programs and courses designed to help post-graduate psychotherapists achieve competency in sexuality. As the title of my book suggests, we hope to help all therapists become more comfortable talking about and addressing sexual concerns in their clients.
Yes, you know how to have sex. But do you know how your clients have sex, or why? If they have sexual difficulties, do you know how to help them? Do you ask your clients if they find sex enjoyable, or if they have difficulty finding it pleasurable?
If not, it isn’t surprising. Less than 20% of graduate programs for psychotherapists offer a course in sexuality. This is unfortunate, because psychotherapists are trained to serve the public good—and sexual problems are very common. In my book on sexuality and mental health, I wrote about how sexual problems can contribute to problems with depression, anxiety, substance problems, and eating disorders. Yet, a discussion of a client’s sexual history is often not part of the intake process.
Sex therapy tends to be practiced by highly trained clinicians, many of whom have sought out certification from AASECT—and I am one of them. But there is much that can be done by therapists who are working with all kinds of populations, from low income and minority people seen in community clinics to women receiving postpartum mental health care.
Mollen & Abbott (2021) recently discussed key competencies for psychologists in sexuality, including a range of topics that include sexuality across the lifespan, gender identity and sexual orientation, and varying relationship structures (i.e., polyamory). Content needs to be inclusive of BIPOC and sexual/gender minorities. The attitude is toward a sex-positive framework that embraces sexuality as an important component of overall well-being, with pleasure being a central guiding principle.
This fall, with the new edition of my book What Every Mental Health Professional Needs to Know about Sex, 3rd Ed., LearnSexTherapy.com by The Buehler Institute will be launching a series of programs and courses designed to help post-graduate psychotherapists achieve competency in sexuality. As the title of my book suggests, we hope to help all therapists become more comfortable talking about and addressing sexual concerns in their clients.
Yes, you know how to have sex. But do you know how your clients have sex, or why? If they have sexual difficulties, do you know how to help them? Do you ask your clients if they find sex enjoyable, or if they have difficulty finding it pleasurable?
If not, it isn’t surprising. Less than 20% of graduate programs for psychotherapists offer a course in sexuality. This is unfortunate, because psychotherapists are trained to serve the public good—and sexual problems are very common. In my book on sexuality and mental health, I wrote about how sexual problems can contribute to problems with depression, anxiety, substance problems, and eating disorders. Yet, a discussion of a client’s sexual history is often not part of the intake process.
Sex therapy tends to be practiced by highly trained clinicians, many of whom have sought out certification from AASECT—and I am one of them. But there is much that can be done by therapists who are working with all kinds of populations, from low income and minority people seen in community clinics to women receiving postpartum mental health care.
Mollen & Abbott (2021) recently discussed key competencies for psychologists in sexuality, including a range of topics that include sexuality across the lifespan, gender identity and sexual orientation, and varying relationship structures (i.e., polyamory). Content needs to be inclusive of BIPOC and sexual/gender minorities. The attitude is toward a sex-positive framework that embraces sexuality as an important component of overall well-being, with pleasure being a central guiding principle.
This fall, with the new edition of my book What Every Mental Health Professional Needs to Know about Sex, 3rd Ed., LearnSexTherapy.com by The Buehler Institute will be launching a series of programs and courses designed to help post-graduate psychotherapists achieve competency in sexuality. As the title of my book suggests, we hope to help all therapists become more comfortable talking about and addressing sexual concerns in their clients.