Sexuality And Occupational Therapy

Sexual activity is a valued occupation among most people, and many clients who experience an injury or disease would still like to pursue it. Although sexuality is an ADL not often addressed in occupational therapy settings or educational programs, occupational therapy practitioners are ideally suited to attend to this issue. Reflecting the profession's focus on occupation and its holistic spirit, Sexuality and Occupational Therapy aims to equip practitioners with the knowledge and strategies to discuss the topic with clients. This text discusses sexuality in relation to some of the most common diagnoses and conditions affecting occupational therapy clients, including Arthritis Cancer Diabetes Spinal cord injury Cardiac conditions Traumatic brain injury Stroke Mental health and developmental disorders Adolescents with disabilities. Sexuality and Occupational Therapy seeks to fill the void in clinical and educational settings on the topic of sexuality, preparing practitioners to effectively assess and intervene with various populations facing challenges in sexual activity.

"Conversations around sexuality have been silenced for far too long in the occupational therapy profession, but sex is an ADL that is deeply valued by many clients. Sexual and intimate occupations encompass a broad range of personally meaningful activities for building intimate partnerships, developing a sense of self, actualizing desire, and experiencing pleasure. However, lack of knowledge, bias, embarrassment, and other barriers can prevent practitioners from addressing sexuality and intimacy with their clients. This textbook presents a comprehensive and holistic occupational therapy approach to sexuality that challenges readers to consider co-existing perspectives and practices related to sexual occupations and equips them to effectively address this important area." -- From publisher.

This evidence-based guide educates and informs health professionals about promoting sexual wellbeing in the context of challenges from physical and mental health. Sexuality is an important aspect of quality of life for many people but can be affected by a wide variety of health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, mental illness, menopause, diseases of ageing, neurological diseases and spinal cord injuries, combat injuries, and cancer. Building readers’ confidence in initiating and encouraging open communication on this often-neglected topic, Sexuality and Illness includes case studies that illustrate how to talk about sexuality and support patients with concerns about it. Making recommendations for practice and further reading, it takes into account gender, sexual, race and ethnic diversity. This accessible text demystifies a topic that is sometimes difficult to discuss. It is essential reading for healthcare practitioners interested in providing comprehensive and person-centred care.

What does ‘sexual citizenship’ mean in practice for people with mobility impairments who may need professional support to engage in sexual activity? The book explores this subject through empirical investigation based on case studies conducted in four countries – Sweden, England, Australia and the Netherlands – and develops the abstract notion of ‘sexual citizenship’ to make it practically relevant to disabled people, professionals in disability services and policy-makers. Through a cross-national approach, it demonstrates the variability of how sexual rights are understood and their culturally specific nature. It also shows how the personal is indeed political: states’ different policy approaches change the outcomes for disabled people in terms of support to explore and express their sexualities. By proposing a model of sexual facilitation that can be used in policy development, to better cater to disabled service users’ needs as well as furthering the theoretical understanding of sexual rights and sexual citizenship, this book will be of interest to professionals in disability services and policy-makers as well as academics and students working in the following subject areas: Disability Studies, Sociology, Social Policy, Sexuality Studies/Sexology, Social Work, Nursing, Occupational Therapy and Public Health.

This handbook provides a much-needed holistic overview of disability and sexuality research and scholarship. With authors from a wide range of disciplines and representing a diversity of nationalities, it provides a multi-perspectival view that fully captures the diversity of issues and outlooks. Organised into six parts, the contributors explore long-standing issues such as the psychological, interpersonal, social, political and cultural barriers to sexual access that disabled people face and their struggle for sexual rights and participation. The volume also engages issues that have been on the periphery of the discourse, such as sexual accommodations and support aimed at facilitating disabled people's sexual well-being; the socio-sexual tensions confronting disabled people with intersecting stigmatised identities such as LGBTBI or asexual; and the sexual concerns of disabled people in the Global South. It interrogates disability and sexuality from diverse perspectives, from more traditional psychological and sociological models, to various subversive and post-theoretical perspectives and queer theory. This handbook examines the cutting-edge, and sometimes ethically contentious, concerns that have been repressed in the field. With current, international and comprehensive content, this book is essential reading for students, academics and researchers in the areas of disability, gender and sexuality, as well as applied disciplines such as healthcare practitioners, counsellors, psychology trainees and social workers.

This challenging and innovative book explores the political aspects of occupational therapy. It looks at how practitioners may develop political awareness in order to aid community development. A Political Practice of Occupational Therapy is about maximizing the potential impact of occupational therapists' engagements and ensuring the profession is working towards the contruction of a civic society. It is supported by twelve chapters of practice examples from the UK, US, Georgia and Australia, as well as a history of the profession as an agency for social change. It asks: How is it possible to introduce the political into a profession that is linked to health and social care? What form could political practice take, and how could the political components of practice be analyzed and evaluated? It includes significant theoretical chapters on gender, class and sexuality, challenges to holism, occupational literacy, and a discussion of political competence. This book will be of particular use for students exploring community and emerging role settings, client centred practice, occupational and social justice and the theoretical base of the profession. From an editorial team that is widely recognized for their challenges to traditional thought and practice in occupational therapy, this book will be of value not just to occupational therapists but also those employed in health profession management and development, and community based rehabilitation.

"A really important influence in my and many others road back to physical and mental health during and post cancer treatment. Without Tess' support who knows where we'd be." Steve, cancer survivor "This book is an absolute game changer. Practical, clear, accessible guidance. I already love introducing Tess' work to couples craving re-connection post cancer treatment, and now I have this go-to instructional guide." Victoria Cullen, founder of A Touchy Subject "Your impact on others suffering is just so profound. Love you for that Tess. Thank you!" SJ, cancer survivor Impacted sexuality from cancer treatments is one of the most common challenges people face, yet is one of the most under-addressed. Cancer treatments can impact all aspects of our lives, so why is no one talking about the more 'intimate' struggles we face? If you've received a cancer diagnosis, or are the loved one of someone who has, this book offers support and solutions to recover and increase connection, intimacy & sexuality, during and after treatments. Jam-packed with fun activities and easy-to-do strategies for how to improve things like; low libido, changes in body image and body confidence, when things are 'dry & sore', dating, the more direct side-effects treatments can have on our body and ways to heal and work around them like pain, fatigue, when sex hurts, drops in sex-drive and so, so much more. This book is a must-have for anyone impacted by cancer who may need support, because we all deserve love and connection. Written by a sexuality clinician and educator, who's also had cancer, this book is filled with practical information and ways you can reconnect with yourself and/or a partner, from someone who's literally been there. With down to Earth humour mixed in with a dash of neuroscience, Tess offers a positive path to your intimacy recovery, so what you thought was sexually impossible, becomes possible.