A Clinician's Guide to Systemic Sex Therapy

✍ Scribed by Katherine M. Hertlein, Gerald R. Weeks, Shelley K. Sendak

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 211
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

A Clinician's Guide to Systemic Sex Therapy provides readers with an integrative and comprehensive theory in guiding their clinical practice. Pragmatically oriented, this text walks clinicians through diagnosis and treatment with resources such as tables, graphs, flow charts, and implementation strategies. The text does not rely on only visual elements, however. Acknowledging that information needs to be guided by a theory that can be translated into practice, the authors use the Intersystems approach to provide a comprehensive perspective in understanding and improving intimate and sexual relationships for clients.

A Clinician's Guide addresses and fills the lack of theoretical integration in the practice of couple and sex therapy and provides a relevant follow-up to the authors' extensive text, Systemic Sex Therapy (Routledge, 2008). This book is an essential roadmap for translating theory into practice and trains clinicians to give their clients the most thorough and valuable assistance possible.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
A CLINICIAN’S GUIDE TO SYSTEMIC SEX THERAPY
Copyright
Contents
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
SECTION I Conducting Sex Therapy Step by Step From an Intersystems Approach
1 The Intersystems Approach to Sex Therapy
Introduction
Couple Therapy, Sex Therapy, and the Intersystems Approach
Theory and Integration in Couple Therapy
Moving Toward Theoretical Integration
Intersystems Theory and Application
Intrapsychic Components
Interactional Components
Understanding Etiology and Treatment Within the Intersystems Approach
Individual and Biological
Individual and Psychological
Dyadic/Couple Relationship
Family of Origin
Society, Culture, History, and Religion
Conclusion
2 Assessment Within the Intersystems Approach
Introduction
The Biphasic Assessment Process
Taking a Sex History
Guidelines in Taking Sexual History
Understand One’s Own Sexuality
Never Assume and Always Assume
Normalize Sex Talk
Promote Clarity While Using the Client’s Language
Promote the Client’s Comfort and Ease in Disclosing
Interview Individually but Systemically
Be Clear and Avoid Shaming
Conducting an Intersystems Clinical Interview
Conducting the Clinical Interview
Individual Factors—Biological
Individual Factors—Psychological
Relational Factors
Sociocontextual Factors
Family of Origin
Interviewing for Specific Disorders
Sexual Desire Disorders
Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
Sexual Aversion Disorder
Hyperactive Sexual Desire/Sexual Compulsivity
Sexual Arousal Disorders
Male Erectile Dysfunction
Female Sexual Arousal Disorder
Orgasmic Disorders
Premature Ejaculation
Female Orgasmic Disorder
Sexual Pain Disorders
Vaginusmus and Dysparenuia
Focused Genograms
Importance and Application
Administering a Genogram
Gender Genograms
Sexual Genograms
Romantic Love Genograms
3 Step-by-Step Diagnosis of Sexual Dysfunctions
Introduction
Diagnosing With the DSM-IV-TR
Limitations of the DSM Diagnostic Categories
Dysfunction Versus Problem
Etiology—Physiology Versus Psychology
Comorbidity
Individual or Relational Problems
Sexual Problems Not Currently in the DSM-IV-TR
Sexual Compulsivity or Nonparaphilic Hypersexuality
Female Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder
Noncoital Sexual Pain Disorder
Multiaxial Diagnosis From the Intersystems Perspective
4 Case Formulation
Introduction
Presenting Problem
Developing an Intersystems Case Formulation
Individual Systems—Physiological
Individual Systems—Psychological
Individual Systems—Family of Origin
Interactional Components
Intrapsychic Components
Society, Culture, History, and Religion
Therapist’s Overall Impressions
5 Treatment Principles, Strategies, and Techniques
Introduction
Beginning Treatment
Initial Phone Call
The Initial Session
The Triage Tree
Presenting Problem Versus Other Clinically Relevant Problems
Multiple Dysfunctions in an Individual
Co-Relational Sexual Dysfunctions
Keeping Treatment Systemic
Treatment of Specific Sexual Dysfunctions
Hypoactive Sexual Desire
Strategies and Techniques
Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
Strategies and Techniques
Premature Ejaculation (PE)
Strategies and Techniques
Inorgasmia
Strategies and Techniques
Vaginismus
Strategies and Techniques
Treatment Concerns of Gays and Lesbians
Sexual Ignorance Among Sexual Minority Clients
HIV Status Discrepancy
Anodyspareunia
Role and Practices Discrepancy
6 Factors Complicating Treatment
Sexual Misinformation
Fears
Fear of Intimacy
Fear of Anger
Fear of Feelings
Fear of Losing Control
Fear of Rejection or Abandonment
Fear of Dependency
7 Working With Particular Populations
Introduction
Sexual Difficulties Among Chronically Ill Individuals
Clients With Neurological Illness
Clients With Cardiovascular Illness
Oncology Clients
Clients With Diabetes
Sexual Difficulties Among Physically Disabled Individuals
Sexual Difficulties Among Geriatric Individuals and Couples
Treatment Strategies for Special Populations
Collaborate With Client’s Physicians
Provide Psychoeducation
Address Anxiety, Misinformation, and Myths
Attend to Affect and Self-Image
Expanding the Sexual Repertoire
Enhance Couple Communication
Address the Self of the Therapist
SECTION II Practice Issues and Resources for Sex Therapy
8 Practice and Ethical Issues
Introduction
The Process and Structure of Treatment
Client Identification
Problem Definition
Goal Setting
Secrets in Therapy
Scope of Practice
Referrals and Consultations in Sex Therapy
Managing Ethical Dilemmas
Sex Therapy Surrogates
Organizations and Guidelines for Ethical Issues in Sex Therapy
Monitoring Biases in Treatment
Gender
Religion
9 Formalized Assessments and Inventories in Sex Therapy
Introduction
Behavioral Assessment
Physiological Measures
Psychological Measures
Collections of Assessments
10 Handouts, Exercises, and Worksheets
Introduction
Handouts
Exercises
Sensate-Focus Activities
Homework
11 Psychoeducational Resources in Sex Therapy
Bibliotherapy
Videos and Multimedia
Internet Resources
Appendix A: Bibliotherapy Resources
References
Index