Most psychotherapy trainings are notoriously poor in teaching about sexology, yet our clients’ sex lives are an important part of their sense of well-being. If we don’t ask questions about the sex lives of our clients, we might be missing out on important aspects of who they are as people, how to relate to their sense of aliveness, joy, pleasure and how they interact in their intimate relationships.

Most importantly, our own unexamined biases and blind spots on this subject can potentially hinder our client’s therapeutic process and even cause distress for clients.

Specifically, at this practical seminar we can learn:

• Updated language highlighting the diversity of sexual orientations, gender identities and relationship styles:
  • Silva will discuss why it is important to keep in mind gender, sexuality and relationship diversity with all clients, as well as the pitfalls of having an unchecked heteronormative mindset
  • This section will provide an opportunity for us to self-reflect on our blind spots in these areas
• The difference between one’s sexual orientation, eroticism and sexual practices:
  • Our client’s sexual orientation, ‘turn-ons’, fantasies and sexual behaviours may not necessarily match with their self-identified sexual orientations
  • This section will challenge our assumptions and question whether certain unusual sexual practices are necessarily ‘weird’ or they just appear so until we can understand the underlying lived experiences
• How to explore our clients’ erotic themes:
  • This section of the training will equip clinicians in developing enquiries for clients that will facilitate an affirmative, non-judgmental and sex-positive exploration of their erotic mind, including the exploration of their sexual orientations, fantasies and behaviours
• How the knowledge of sexology can help to maximise our clients’ well-being:
  • The area of the erotic can be sensitive for many clients and filled with shame because of various factors including upbringing, religious ideals, our heteronormative and mononormative society, and so on. Unfortunately, many people of all sexual orientations, including heterosexual people, do not fit in society’s strict heteronormative conceptualisations
  • Affirmative exploration of sexuality, eroticism and behaviours can reduce shame exponentially and it can contribute to overall better mental and physical health. Silva will explain the health benefits of being sex-positive with accurate knowledge of sexology
• Self-reflections on erotic transference and countertransference:
  • Many of us, as psychotherapists and counsellors are uncomfortable with erotic transference and countertransference, yet these are common when we help our clients explore their erotic mind
  • In this final section, Silva will facilitate a discussion on how to work with both erotic transference and countertransference for the benefit of our clients

© nscience 2022 / 23