Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Sexual Problems : An Essential Guide for Mental Health Professionals

This book provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the forces that influence sexual dysfunction across the lifespan, and equips clinicians with effective strategies to help individuals and couples enhance their intimate connections and overall relationship satisfaction.

This book provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the forces that influence sexual dysfunction across the lifespan and equips clinicians with effective strategies to help individuals and couples enhance their intimate connections and overall relationship satisfaction. Drawing from over five decades of clinical experience, master teacher Dr. Stephen B. Levine guides mental health professionals of all experience levels to acquire a deep understanding of the treatment of sexual concerns. Moving beyond the traditional approaches and models for sex therapy, this practical guide illuminates the profound subjectivity behind sexual behavior, exploring the predisposing developmental experiences, precipitating events, and maintaining factors that shape patients' intimate lives. This book offers insights into problems not addressed in diagnostic manuals such as premature cessation of partner sex, betrayal, extra-dyadic relationships, and sexual aversion. Clinical vignettes demonstrate how to compassionately explore the private thoughts, feelings, and conflicts that can create obstacles in loving relationships. This revised edition also includes new chapters on developmental forces that impact sexual dysfunction as well as working with transgender youth and adults. Written in an engaging, supervisory tone that fosters a personal connection with readers, this book reveals how sexuality serves as both a mechanism of self-discovery and a profound means of intimate connection and offers enduring principles that clinicians can apply throughout their careers. This essential resource is designed to help therapists, counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and mental health professionals of all kinds increase their confidence and effectiveness when addressing the sexual concerns that inevitably arise in clinical practice.