Kink-Affirming Practice
Kink-Affirming Practice

Author: Stefani Goerlich

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2022-08-08

Total Pages: 221

ISBN-13: 1000620492

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Kink-Affirming Practice is an essential guide on how clinicians can ethically and effectively integrate elements of their client’s BSDM identities and practices into their treatment planning, creative interventions, and client self-care. Embracing both an anthropological understanding of this diverse yet still marginalized community, as well as a sex-positive approach to mental health, Stefani Goerlich recognizes the ways in which specific power exchange dynamics can evoke positive behavioral changes in clients, and guides the reader in how to integrate these concepts into their clinical work. Chapters discuss the foundations of BDSM, what is meant by kink-affirming practice, the purpose of claiming power and ceding control, integrating and reclaiming identities, dominant/submissive personas, and the benefits of caregiving kink, such as pet play. It practically discusses how to conduct a kink-affirming risk assessment, as well as exploring topics like ethical and health boundary setting, how to gain informed consent, and the unique issues that arise when clinicians catch themselves romancing the kink. This book is invaluable reading for professionals working with clients who engage in BDSM activities, such as marriage and family therapists, sex therapists, clinical social workers, and counselors. It may also be useful reading for students on both undergraduate and graduate level human sexuality and sexuality courses.

The Leather Couch
The Leather Couch

Author: Stefani Goerlich

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-09-08

Total Pages: 213

ISBN-13: 1000173402

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Winner of the 2021 AASECT Book Award! Winner of the SSTAR Professional Book Award 2021! Winner of the SASH Media Award 2022! The Leather Couch provides a comprehensive overview of the BDSM and kink community and guides clinicians on how to meet the unique relational and mental health needs of its members. The text offers a 101-style introduction to BDSM before delving into topics ranging from intersectionality within the kink community, to conducting a kink-affirming risk assessment and how to discern between domestic violence and consensual power-exchange. The author explores differential diagnoses and clinical concerns that are relevant to health care providers, including social workers and therapists as well as primary care physicians and sex educators. Interwoven throughout with real-world case studies, each chapter presents practical suggestions, tools, and handouts the reader can use to inform their practice and serve clients in ways that meet the needs of each individual, couple, or partnership. Written in a conversational, accessible style for clinicians and members of the BDSM community alike, The Leather Couch is the go-to resource for any mental health professional or educator looking to transform their practice from kink aware to kink affirming.

Becoming a Kink Aware Therapist
Becoming a Kink Aware Therapist

Author: Caroline Shahbaz

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-10-04

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 1315295318

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As a result of recent media interest, the practice of BDSM has become more mainstream yet remains marginalized. Now more than ever, greater numbers of heterosexual and LGBTQ couples are starting to explore some form of BDSM. However, profound misunderstandings continue leading to unintentional physical and psychological harm. Drawing on current research and ethnographic narratives from the kink community, this book seeks to provide psychotherapists with an introductory understanding of the culture and practice of BDSM, and presents specific therapeutic concerns related to common misconceptions. This book strives to de-pathologize BDSM practices, while also providing concrete ways to distinguish abuse from consent, harmful codependency, and more. Packed with practical suggestions and rich case studies, this book belongs on the shelf of every therapist seeing BDSM and kink clients.

Women and Kink
Women and Kink

Author: Jennifer Rehor

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-07-19

Total Pages: 197

ISBN-13: 100040742X

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Based on original research from nearly 1,600 women from the kink community, this book takes you on a journey into the motivations, meanings, and benefits of kink, in these women’s own words. Women and Kink presents a diverse range of personal and intimate stories about life, love, relationships, kink, sex, self-discovery, growth, resilience, community, and more. The book offers insight into the breadth of the kink community, with chapters discussing different aspects of kink and forms of engagement, both individually and within relationships. Filled throughout with personal vignettes and examples, the authors provide commentary, reflection questions, and thought-provoking considerations to readers who are looking to explore a new area of their life. By exploring personal stories of love, alternative sexualities, and reasons for participating in the "unconventional," the book supports and empowers each reader to build a relationship and life that best suits their needs. It is also an illuminating resource for sex therapists, counselors, and other mental health professionals interested in developing a kink-affirmative practice.

Kink
Kink

Author: R.O. Kwon

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2021-02-09

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 1982110228

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A New York Times Notable Book Kink is a groundbreaking anthology of literary short fiction exploring love and desire, BDSM, and interests across the sexual spectrum, edited by lauded writers R.O. Kwon and Garth Greenwell, and featuring a roster of all-star contributors including Alexander Chee, Roxane Gay, Carmen Maria Machado, and more. A Most-Anticipated book of 2021 as selected by * Marie Claire * O, The Oprah Magazine * Cosmopolitan * Time * The Millions * The Advocate * Autostraddle * Refinery29 * Shape * Town & Country * Book Riot * Literary Hub * Kink is a dynamic anthology of literary fiction that opens an imaginative door into the world of desire. The stories within this collection portray love, desire, BDSM, and sexual kinks in all their glory with a bold new vision. The collection includes works by renowned fiction writers such as Callum Angus, Alexander Chee, Vanessa Clark, Melissa Febos, Kim Fu, Roxane Gay, Cara Hoffman, Zeyn Joukhadar, Chris Kraus, Carmen Maria Machado, Peter Mountford, Larissa Pham, and Brandon Taylor, with Garth Greenwell and R.O. Kwon as editors. The stories within explore bondage, power-play, and submissive-dominant relationships; we are taken to private estates, therapists’ offices, underground sex clubs, and even a sex theater in early-20th century Paris. While there are whips and chains, sure, the true power of these stories lies in their beautiful, moving dispatches from across the sexual spectrum of interest and desires, as portrayed by some of today’s most exciting writers.

What Every Mental Health Professional Needs to Know About Sex
What Every Mental Health Professional Needs to Know About Sex

Author: Stephanie Buehler, PsyD, CST-S

Publisher: Springer Publishing Company

Published: 2013-07-29

Total Pages: 331

ISBN-13: 0826171222

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Although sexual issues frequently arise in therapeutic practice, mental health professionals are often uncomfortable and poorly equipped to address them. Written by an author who is both a psychologist and sex therapist, this practical guide provides information, tools, and exercises to increase the confidence and comfort of the mental health professional called upon to treat sexual issues during the course of therapy. The book is based on the premise that the therapist must be comfortable with his or her own sexuality in order to offer appropriate treatment. This guide discusses the characteristics of healthy sexuality-for both client and therapist-and explores the reasons that may underlie a therapist's discomfort with addressing sexual issues. Using case studies and sample dialogues, it covers a multitude of common and unusual sexual problems, couple's issues, questions that parents may have about sex, working with LGBT clients, sex for survivors of trauma, sexuality and aging, sexual pain disorders, and how to assess whether more extensive sexual therapy is needed. The guide demonstrates how therapists in different modalities can incorporate treatment of sexual problems into their practice, and covers relevant ethical issues. Included is a downloadable set of practitioner's resources that includes worksheets and client handouts that can be immediately put to use. Additionally, the book provides resources for more in-depth information and discusses collaboration with other health professionals. Key Features: Discusses how to comfortably and effectively discuss, assess, and treat clients' sexual concerns Supported by case studies and therapist/clinician dialogues Includes "Step Into My Office" sidebars taken from the author's own experience Provides downloadable resources including assessments, worksheets, and client handouts

The Professional's Guide to Sexuality Consultation
The Professional's Guide to Sexuality Consultation

Author: James Wadley

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2024-01-15

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 1000997081

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This book offers support and guidance to sexuality professionals who are looking at different strategies to progress their careers, accounting for all the diverse jobs they can take on or create. Bringing together contributions from the field of sexology, business, and marriage and family therapy, James C. Wadley combines elements of sexuality, business development, and entrepreneurship to help therapists consider their professional options. Chapters address topics such how to navigate consultative opportunities in sex education, clinical work, counseling, coaching, supervision, research, non-profit and for-profit entities, volunteer experiences, and in academic settings. Professional contributions offer practical advice as well as personal reflections, with insights ranging from obtaining consultative positions, to starting one’s own business, and using social media effectively. Sexuality educators, counselors, therapists, healers, advocates, activists, researchers, policy makers, workers, and other consultants will find this book invaluable when navigating new ideas and professional paths they can take within the field.

Sexual Outsiders: Understanding BDSM Sexualities and Communities
Sexual Outsiders: Understanding BDSM Sexualities and Communities

Author: David M. Ortmann

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Published: 2012-11-15

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1442217375

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Sexual Outsiders: Understanding BDSM Sexualities and Communities delves into the unique experiences of individuals in BDSM communities. While misunderstandings surrounding these communities prevail, BDSM sexuality cuts across race, gender, nationality, and sexual orientation. BDSM describes forms of sexuality that incorporate restraint, pressure, sensation, training, and elements of both erotic and non-erotic power exchange between the engaged parties. Some BDSM “scenes” include role-playing, spanking, blindfolds, ropes, and erotic costuming. Sexual Outsiders is designed as a guide for BDSM community members who must wade through the quagmire of unique problems they face: coming out to family, friends and partners; distinguishing abusive relationships from healthy consensual ones; finding and developing community; overcoming shame and denial; exploring whether BDSM sexuality can be a healing tool; gaining access to quality, culturally competent psychotherapy; and finding strategies to develop a healthy sexual self-esteem in the face of current medical and social standards that view them as sick or pathological. The book also serves as an educational primer for those whose partners, friends, and family members are involved in BDSM. In terms of challenges faced by BDSM communities, the most significant is living with a stigmatized sexuality shame, prejudice, discrimination, isolation, depression, and a lack of adequate, competent mental health care. Issues such as coming out as a sexual minority, finding community and partners, and dealing with scenes and relationships that go wrong are some the common experiences shared by members of BDSM communities. Sexual Outsiders employs common sense, good humor, and vivid anecdotes while incorporating basic ideas about human behavior, psychology, philosophy, interviews, history, and clinical case studies to illustrate the real lives and experiences of men and women in BDSM communities. Anyone wanting to learn more about this unique, and more-common-than-you-think expression of sexuality, will find in these pages insight into the various challenges BDSM practitioners face, and the many strengths that people in the BDSM communities have developed in the face of social stigma and prejudice.

Sex Therapy with Erotically Marginalized Clients
Sex Therapy with Erotically Marginalized Clients

Author: Damon Constantinides

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-03-28

Total Pages: 444

ISBN-13: 1317205987

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Sex Therapy with Erotically Marginalized Clients: Nine Principles of Clinical Support provides a clinical guide to relational sex therapy with individuals, partnerships, polyships, and alternative family structures where one or more of the clients are erotically marginalized. This term refers to people who are at risk of being pathologized and oppressed both outside and inside the clinical setting due to their gender identities, sexual orientations, or sexual practices. The book outlines nine principles for therapeutic practice which meet the needs of erotically marginalized clients, whose forms of sexuality and desire are rarely spoken about and for whom there is a dearth of language in therapeutic contexts. Each principle concludes with a series of ‘key points’ and then followed by illustrative clinical case studies, contributed by sex therapists and clinicians who self-identify as erotically marginalized and who also work with erotically marginalized clients. The book also provides a full glossary, ‘Defining Erotically Marginalized Identities’. The authors and case contributors use a radical and affirming lens to examine erotically marginalized identities that are often neglected. The book bridges gaps between the past, present, and future in the field of sex therapy and greatly expands the diversity of experiences and identities within the field, particularly the experience of multiple oppressions. The book marks a valuable contribution not only to sex therapists but to the wider clinical and therapeutic community.

Reclaiming Pleasure
Reclaiming Pleasure

Author: Holly Richmond

Publisher: New Harbinger Publications

Published: 2021-10-01

Total Pages: 246

ISBN-13: 1684038448

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Go beyond surviving to reclaim your sexual self. If you have experienced sexual abuse, assault, harassment, or rape, you may feel disconnected from your sexual self—even if you’ve overcome the initial trauma of your experience. You are a survivor; but surviving is just the beginning. This book explores what comes next. Written by a psychotherapist and grounded in cutting-edge research, Reclaiming Pleasure picks up where other sexual trauma recovery books leave off. It offers practical tools to help you cultivate a sense of safety, security and trust in order to reclaim the vitality, pleasure and great sex you deserve. The book will also serve as your compass on a journey toward the rediscovery of desire, letting you explore what you want from others and for yourself. This groundbreaking book will help you: Understand the lasting mental, physical, sexual, and relational impacts of sexual trauma Move beyond feelings of shame Reclaim pleasure and reignite passion in your life Surviving is merely the first step in the process of recovery from sexual trauma. With this sex-positive and empowering guide, you are invited to take your recovery to the next level. You’ll feel emboldened by the desire for better sex, healthier relationships, and a more connected, pleasurable life.