The influence of sexuality education and supervision, clinical experience, perceived sex knowledge, and comfort with sexual content on therapists addressing sexuality issues with clients

Date

2002-05

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Tech University

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to examine if marriage and family therapists are initiating sexuality related discussions with their clients. Five variables were hypothesized to either directly or indirectly influence the dependent variable: therapist sexuality education, therapist clinical experience with sexuality issues, experience addressing sexuality issues in supervision, therapist sex knowledge and therapist level of comfort with sexuality issues. The theoretical literature has focused on sexuality education, clinical experience and supervision experience as important in moderating therapists' sex knowledge and comfort with sexuality issues. Previous research also indicates therapists' sex knowledge as an influential factor on therapists' comfort with sexual issues. However, virtually no empirical research has been previously conducted to test these variables. Additionally, there has been no previous empirical research that directly addresses the influencing factors of therapists' willingness to address sexuality issues with clients.

A national random sample of 175 clinical members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT) completed a 48-item questionnaire. Participants answered questions that assessed their past, current, and perceived experience and knowledge with sexuality issues. The findings suggest that therapists' perceived sex knowledge is a better predictor of their likelihood to engage in sexuality discussions than their actual sex knowledge. Therapists' comfort with sexual content and sexuality education, both had significant effects on the dependent variable. Implications for these findings are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.

Description

Keywords

Psychotherapist and patient, Countertransference (Psychology), Sex therapy, Sex educators -- Attitudes, Sex (Psychology), Sex instruction -- Methodology, Sex instruction

Citation