Gender And Sex In Counseling And Psychotherapy

Gender is still largely ignored as an "active" variable in counseling and is typically viewed as pertaining to women's issues or problems. The field has leap-frogged over gender, perhaps because it is too complex, perhaps because we resist change, or perhaps because our gender socialization is sufficiently effective as is. This book makes clear as to why gender must be considered in understanding the client's concerns, the process of therapy, and the counselor's role in the therapeutic interaction. Effective therapy requires an understanding of gender theory and gender processes. The approach taken in this book explains complex concepts in understandable terms, provides summaries of pertinent research findings, and applies theory and research about gender to client case examples.

Scholarship on sexual minority (SM) and transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) psychology has exploded in recent years, with unprecedented impact on practitioners and researchers, as well as the social and political compass of the nation. At the same time, best practices for mental health professionals who work with SM and TGNC clients continue to evolve rapidly.This volume builds on the editors' 2007 Handbook of Counseling and Psychotherapy With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Clients to explore the challenges faced by SM and TGNC clients today. Experts in the field examine how the concepts of gender and sexual orientation are both socioculturally-constructed and can be informed by biologically-focused research, thus setting the stage for flexible, affirmative mental health services. Chapters cover a range of practice-focused, theoretical, and empirically-based contemporary perspectives, while highlighting themes that include an appreciation for complexity in identity, minority stress, and stigma management. With concise summaries of research findings and detailed case studies, contributors provide an intersectional understanding of how practitioners can work within rapidly-changing political and legal contexts to uncover and affirm clients' multiple social identities, and build resilience.

A specialised guide for therapists, counselors, academics and other mental health professionals to be used in clinical practice with transgender clients and their families. It includes diverse perspectives including sex therapy, social work and family counselling. An informative and important text for working with gender and sexuality issues.

When a Black, Indigenous, or racialized individual or relationship works with a sex therapist, a host of cultural circumstances can contribute to intimacy discord and sexual dysfunction. This collection brings together clinicians and educators who share their approaches, bridging sex therapy with a client’s relationship to their racial, cultural, and ethnic identity. This essential book aims to enhance therapists’ supervisory practices and clinical treatments when working with culturally diverse and marginalized populations, fostering greater understanding and awareness. Innovative tools that integrate the impacts of acculturation, minority status, intersectionality, and minority stress are discussed, with case studies, demonstrations, and critical questions included. This collection is a necessary read for anyone who is training to be or who is an established sex therapist, marriage and family therapist, relationship counselor, or sexuality educator and consultant.

A specialist book for mental health professionals, sex therapists and educators to develop and improve their clinical work with trans clients with regards to their sexual relationships and sexuality. It provides an interdisciplinary exploration of the subject, and relates to both clinical practice and theory. Topics explored include the shifting of sexual orientation during or following gender transition; gender dysphoria and co-occurring autism spectrum disorder; negotiating issues of sexuality with partners during transition; eating disorders; and an exploration of the intersection of trans identities and disability. It uniquely touches on perspectives from the field of sex therapy, featuring chapter authors from disciplines including social work, marriage and family counseling, early childhood education, sex therapy, sex education, psychology, and women's studies.

Sex Therapy with Erotically Marginalized Clients: Nine Principles of Clinical Support provides a clinical guide to relational sex therapy with individuals, partnerships, polyships, and alternative family structures where one or more of the clients are erotically marginalized. This term refers to people who are at risk of being pathologized and oppressed both outside and inside the clinical setting due to their gender identities, sexual orientations, or sexual practices. The book outlines nine principles for therapeutic practice which meet the needs of erotically marginalized clients, whose forms of sexuality and desire are rarely spoken about and for whom there is a dearth of language in therapeutic contexts. Each principle concludes with a series of ‘key points’ and then followed by illustrative clinical case studies, contributed by sex therapists and clinicians who self-identify as erotically marginalized and who also work with erotically marginalized clients. The book also provides a full glossary, ‘Defining Erotically Marginalized Identities’. The authors and case contributors use a radical and affirming lens to examine erotically marginalized identities that are often neglected. The book bridges gaps between the past, present, and future in the field of sex therapy and greatly expands the diversity of experiences and identities within the field, particularly the experience of multiple oppressions. The book marks a valuable contribution not only to sex therapists but to the wider clinical and therapeutic community.

Sexuality is an important area of clients’ lives yet it is often neglected, both in the consulting room and in training. This book examines issues of sexuality in a positive and affirming light and considers how sexuality-related issues can be introduced into therapy and training. Sex and sexuality are important to consider in psychotherapy, psychology, counselling and health provision across a variety of contexts and are relevant to clinicians and therapists working in health and mental health settings as well as in specialist services such as sexual and reproductive health and HIV. Sex, Sexuality and Therapeutic Practice opens with a general discussion of sex and sexuality before considering how the therapists can think and talk about sexuality in practical and self-reflective ways in different circumstances. Each chapter in the book focuses on a specific topic with areas covered including: sexual diversity across the lifespan health and disability sexual and gender minority issues how culture and sexuality interact. The manual provides up-to-date information, further reading, handouts for clients, self-reflective exercises and examples of training exercises for workshops and teaching. It is an essential resource for health professionals, therapists, clinicians, academics and trainers, and will support the practicing therapist as well as those in training.

There is no shortage of literature about working with men in counseling and psychotherapy, but almost none of it addresses the unique issues that a female clinician can face with a male client. These women do not have a basis for a complete understanding of the impact our society’s ideas about gender can have on a man, his masculinity, and his feelings toward talk therapy, in part because they are not men themselves. The contributors to this book, all female clinicians who have worked extensively with men, have set out to provide their female peers with a guide for therapeutically engaging and helping men. Chapters explore how each author became involved in men’s issues, case studies and examples from her own practice that illustrate her approach, and her own assessment of what works best with male clients. Topics considered include core treatment issues, such as transference and counter-transference, beginning and ending therapy with men, and ethical dilemmas; working in different therapy modalities; and doing therapy with diverse populations of men. The book concludes with an edited transcript of a discussion amongst the authors about their personal experiences working with male clients. This will be an important book for all female therapists who work with male clients and are looking for ways to better understand and tailor their approaches to meet the needs of men in therapy.