Sex Counseling Tips For Clinicians
Sex Counseling Tips For Clinicians
Article by David Crawford
A sex counseling model is frequently being recommended by CME courses for physicians, under the rubric of “optimizing” care when using PDE-5 treatments. Multiple MHPs have attempted to raise awareness of the importance of psychosocial factors in the etiology and treatment of erectile dysfunction. However, this sex counseling model will apply to clinicians treating both men and women for the entire range of sexual dysfunctions, not merely those treating erectile dysfunction. Clinician difficulty with either moderate or severe psychosocial complexity would lead to appropriate referral and presumably the use of the multidisciplinary team model.
A recent article, “Sex Coaching for Physicians” provided a comprehensive discussion for nonpsychiatric physicians on incorporating psychotherapy into their office practice to enhance sexual pharmaceutical efficacy. The article emphasized augmenting pharmacotherapy with sex therapy when treating erectile dysfunction specifically, or sexual dysfunction generally. Although intended for the nonpsychiatric physician, the article served as a good model for any clinicians interested in integrating use of sexual pharmaceuticals with their sex therapy practice, using a multidisciplinary model. That multidisciplinary approach constitutes the second alternative for “combination treatment”. The following section on counseling, incorporates key issues from the article in addition to other tips, helpful to clinicians counseling sexual dysfunction patients.
Clearly, clinicians treating sexual dysfunction must consider the psychological and behavioral aspects of their patient’s diagnosis and management, as well as organic causes and risk factors. Integrating sex therapy and other psychological techniques into their office practice will improve effectiveness in treating sexual dysfunction. Psychological forces of patient and partner resistance, which impact patient compliance and sex lives beyond organic illness and mere performance anxiety must be understood. The following key areas of therapeutic integration will be highlighted: Focusing the sex history; sexual scripts and pharmaceutical choice; “follow-up” and “therapeutic probe” to manage noncompliance; partner issues; relapse prevention; and referral.
David Crawford is the CEO and owner of a Male Enhancement Reviews company known as Male Enhancement Group. Copyright 2010 David Crawford of Male Enhancement Pills This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Dr. Cornelia Spencer has worked in the counseling and mentoring field for years. She started in the field by mentoring adolescent girls and teen mothers. Some of her work includes co-facilitating court ordered anger management and parenting classes, providing teen counseling services at local nonprofit agencies, providing counseling services to children, and has helping families and victims of crimes though a local private practice. She has earned her BA in Psychology, an MA in Counseling Psychology, and a Ed.D. in Counseling Psychology. She currently is a counselor at Contra Costa College and teaches career exploration classes to approximately 300 middle school students each semester. Solano Community College’s Ethnic Studies Program presented this event, which was sponsored by Dr. Karen McCord, Dr. Brenda Tucker, Solano Community College’s Umoja Program, Solano Community College’s Learning Communities, Solano Community College’s Health Services Department, and the Associated Students. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT DR. GIBSON, PLEASE VISIT: www.survivingbrokenpromises.com
