Sex, Social Justice, and Intimacy in Mental Health Practice: Incorporating Sexual Health in Approaches to Wellness

This book aims to equip mental health professionals to integrate discussions of sexual identity, health, wellness, and intimacy into the scope of their clients' mental health, ensuring they are well-prepared to incorporate sexual functioning into core assessment, interventions, and treatment. It addresses a movement in the counseling field to incorporate sexual health into therapy and provides new ways of foundational teaching.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 21 March 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book is designed to empower mental health professionals to seamlessly integrate discussions of sexual identity, health, wellness, and intimacy into the realm of their clients' mental health, ensuring they are well-equipped to incorporate sexual functioning into core assessment, interventions, and treatment. In societies that often shy away from these sensitive topics, the stigma surrounding sexual health, identity, and relationships permeates our mental health professions. Historically, sex, intimacy, and sexual identity have been relegated to the periphery of clinical training, leaving professionals feeling inadequately prepared and skilled to address these core aspects of their clients' psychological, biological, physical, and relational well-being. Recognizing this as a social justice issue, this book addresses a growing movement within the counseling field to incorporate sexual health into therapy and offers innovative approaches to foundational teaching.

The chapters in this book begin by delving into the historical roots of sex therapy, exploring the concerns that have traditionally been confined to the field. It then proceeds to address issues surrounding transference and countertransference, which are crucial in the therapeutic relationship. By encouraging self-reflection on values, biases, and attitudes related to sexuality, the book moves to discuss strategies and integrative approaches to co-occurring conditions, such as trauma, diagnosis of sexual difficulties, stigma, societal messages, biopsychosocial treatment, networking, and coordination of care.

To enhance the learning experience, the book includes journaling exercises, assessment tools, and case studies that demonstrate how to effectively weave approaches addressing sexual concerns into practice. This resource will be invaluable for graduate courses and continuing education instructors who aim to train and develop their students in this critical area. By equipping mental health professionals with the knowledge and skills to address sexual health concerns, this book contributes to a more inclusive and holistic approach to mental health care, promoting the well-being and empowerment of individuals across diverse backgrounds.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367761332