Hows to Choose a Sex Therapist - Buyer Beware!
How to Choose a Sex Therapist – Buyer Beware!
With so many therapists to choose from, how does a Consumer know how to choose the right therapist… especially a sex therapist!? The sad reality is that the majority of registered counsellors and psychologists in Canada have had no direct graduate-level education on the topic of sex and/or sexuality.
Most graduate programs require a course or 2 on the topics of family and romantic relationships… and maybe the topic of sex gets thrown into the mix, but at no great length. The implications of this for a client seeking a counsellor for issues related to sexuality and/or sexual functioning are scary -- There are currently many therapists who indicate that they are qualified to address issues of sexuality, but the extent of their training is a book and/or a workshop. Statistically speaking, the majority of counsellors and psychologists have less than 10 hours of formal education on the topics of sex and sexuality!
What does this mean for the individual seeking counselling for such issues? It means that the Consumer must do some research before choosing a therapist to discuss issues of sex and/or sexuality. Here are 5 things to consider when looking for a qualified therapist:
1. What type of education has the therapist had? Ask the therapist this question directly. Is his/her education reduced to basic anatomy, physiology, and contraception… or has it incorporated more complex issues, such as gender identity and/or sociocultural contributors to sexual problems? Has the therapist been self-taught or has he/she been involved in a lecture format that involves critical thinking, evaluation, and discussion? How much clinical experience has the therapist had? Is his/her knowledge from a textbook only… or has he/she had direct contact with clients?
2. Does the therapist take a sex-positive approach? “Sex-positive” means looking at sex and sexuality through a positive lens… and not pathologizing sexual practices or preferences. Seeking out a therapist who is sex-positive is crucial… otherwise you may have a therapist labeling you as abnormal, sick, or addicted, when in reality your sexual interests, practices, and/or functioning are functions of your unique experience in the world – your upbringing, your gender, your body, your religion, your relationships, your community, etc... all of which are normal contributors to struggles with sex and sexuality! Many people feel insecure and/or shameful about issues related to their sexuality… having a therapist reinforce these feelings with a sex-negative approach will not be very helpful.
3. Don’t let credentials fool you! Just because a therapist has a Masters or a PhD degree doesn’t mean they are qualified to do sex therapy. The only governing body of sex therapists in North America is the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counsellors and Therapists. This organization requires therapists who register with the association to have a certain amount of education and clinical practice, which is fantastic! Having said that, part of the registration requirement for becoming certified as a sex therapist includes clinical practice using the DSM-IV (the diagnostic “bible” for psychologists, which is based on a model of mental illness). Not all therapists who register use a pathology model such as this, so be sure to check in with the therapist you are interested in to ensure a sex-positive approach. In addition to this particular limitation of the organization, many therapists do not have the ability to be clinically supervised by a sex therapist (a registration requirement) in their geographical area due to the fact that there are very few certified sex therapists. This means that there could be adequate sex therapists in your geographical region, but they are not registered simply because a clinical supervisor has not been available to them. The bottom line: do your homework to ensure adequate education and professional experience!
4. Has the therapist done any personal work around his/her own sexuality? A therapist’s personal experiences can bias the work he/she does with clients. A knowledgeable sex therapist understands the importance of understanding one’s own personal hang-ups, triggers, and sexual experiences… and how these may impact the way in which a therapist works with a client. Has the therapist engaged in a Sexual Attitude Re-structuring (SAR) course? Has he/she identified the personal biases or experiences that may contribute to a unidimensional or limited view of sexuality, sexual practices, and/or sexual functioning? Does the therapist understand that there are a variety of ways that people express and/or experience their sexuality… and that his/her own personal experiences comprise only a few experiences of MANY?
5. Know the difference between a Sexologist and a Sex Therapist. With so many credentials and terms floating around out there, it can be difficult to know how to differentiate the different levels of skill and ability. Knowing the difference between a Sexologist and a Sex Therapist can mean the difference between basic education vs. in-depth psychotherapy. Sexologists represent a variety of professions, including (but not limited to) those from medicine, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and the clergy. A Sexologist can be registered with the American College of Sexologists by completing a certificate program, taking 300 hours of academic training in the area of sexuality, or working in the field of sexuality for 2 years. No graduate-level training is required. Sexologists can be Planned Parenthood employees, nurses, doctors, counsellors, psychologists, and/or other health professionals. They assist clients to realistically resolve concerns through basic education, validation / normalization, and providing specific suggestions to help resolve sexual(ity) concerns. A sex therapist, on the other hand, does all of this… AND has the extra skill set to implement complex psychological interventions. A person can only be a sex therapist if they have graduate-level education (a Masters or PhD) in the fields of psychology, counselling, and/or marriage and family therapy (or a related discipline).
These 5 tips on how to choose a sex therapist are the “tip of the ice berg,” but they can certainly help you make a more informed choice if you are seeking help for concerns related to sex and/or sexuality.
Dr. Danielle Duplassie is the Founder and Director of The Shanti Counselling Centre, located in Burnaby and Vancouver, British Columbia. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Board-Certified Sexologist, and non-registered Sex Therapist. For more information, visit www.shanti-centre.com