Sexual Dysfunction and Health/Medical Factors
Sex is great . . . except when it is not.As a counselor, you will hear your client share difficulties like:“When my partner touches me, I just want to go to sleep. And it’s not like I don’t want to be intimate. But it’s like I never want to have sex when I should and now it’s like we . . . we don’t have it at all. And it’s my fault.”Or:“I used to always initiate every time. In the beginning of our relationship, it could be two or three times a day. Then a few times a week. Never a problem. I am in my 50s now, and this last year, it’s like I can’t get ready. I want to perform, but my body doesn’t want to work with me.”This week, you will explore how to discuss issues related to sexual dysfunction and other health issues with clients. You will also look for local resources that can support clients who are dealing with sexual dysfunction.
Discussion: Addressing Sexual Dysfunction and Sexually Transmitted Infections With Clients
A third of men and 41% of women suffer from sexual dysfunction—which is any problem or issue that interferes with a couple or an individual feeling satisfaction from sexual activity (Cleveland Clinic, 2015). Thus, the likelihood that you will have clients who experience some type of sexual dysfunction in their lives or relationships is very high. For this Discussion, you will consider how to respond to clients who are experiencing some type of sexual dysfunction.
To prepare:
- Review the three case studies below and consider all the details of the case.
- Choose one of the three case studies and consider how you would respond to the client(s).
Case Study 1:
Susan, age 34, is a married mother of two preschool-aged children (ages 2 and 4). Her husband, Steve, age 35, works full time, and Susan works part time on the weekends but primarily is a stay-at-home mother to her children.
The couple sought couples counseling, and their primary presenting concern was that Susan has not had any interest in sex with Steve for the past year. The couple reports that they have had intercourse about three times in the past year (“always at Steve’s initiation”), they rarely display physical affection toward one another, and they fought frequently about their lack of sex for about the first six months of the past year. Lately, they have not fought often about the issue.
The partners indicate that, up until a year ago, Susan was very interested in sex, and they had sex approximately three times per week throughout their marriage (aside from immediately following the birth of their children). Susan states that she cannot pinpoint any particular reason for her lack of interest in sex and says, “Really, I just don’t want it anymore. I’m not sure if I ever will again.” Steve says that he is very frustrated but does not want to fight about it. He says, “I just want my wife back.”
Case Study 2:
During her annual visit to her gynecologist, Nancy, 48, complained about menopausal symptoms. Her physician asked her about pain during sexual activity, and Nancy shared that sex has always been painful for her. Nancy’s physician shared information with Nancy about genital pain and referred Nancy to you to explore the psychological and emotional side of healing from painful sex. Imagine that you are utilizing telemental health when working with Nancy and when responding to the discussion board, consider how utilizing telemental health may impact your work with Nancy.
Case Study 3:
Morgan, 17, has been sexually active since he was 11 years old. He seeks counseling after being told he may be in danger of not graduating high school on time due to missing some important assignments. During your conversation, he shares his recent diagnosis of HIV and the changes he has experienced living with this diagnosis, including a decrease in his sex drive. He shares that he has not had sex since he was diagnosed six months ago and is also scared to have sex again because “I don’t want to give anyone else HIV.”
By Day 3
Choose one of the three case studies. Post a 1-paragraph script of how you would respond to the client(s) in the case study. Then write a second paragraph describing how your script is informed by the Learning Resources from the week.
I need A work on this discussion post as I am failing this course
References
Buehler, S. (2016). What every mental health professional needs to know about sex (2nd ed.). Springer.
- Chapter 6, “Women’s Sexual Health Problems”
- Chapter 7, “Men’s Sexual Health Problems”
- Chapter 13, “Healing Painful Sex”
- Chapter 16, “Sexually Transmitted Infections”