Medical Problems and Sexual Functioning & Paraphillias and Non-paraphillic Hypersexuality Presentations

The last two class presentations were very impressive!! I am always so impressed with how my classmates really pull things together and create such interesting and creative projects.

Medical Problems and Sexual Functioning
        I really liked that this presentation and wiki page incorporated several different medical conditions. They really solidified the idea of seeing the whole person, which I think is incredibly important with working with clients. It also (along with the chapters we read) opened my eyes to just how much medical problems can influence our sexual identities and relationships as well. Heart disease, in particular, stands out to me because it is so prevalent in our society today, yet very few people make the connection between this physical illness and sexual dilemmas. The way that this group highlighted specific ways in which the various medical conditions affect sexual problems was extremely helpful and I could see myself referring to this Wiki page when working with individuals and/or couples to help better understand their problems.
          The focus on disabilities was also helpful and I feel like something that our society does not value or is even aware of. The information that the group has provided will be extremely helpful in working with not only the clients with disabilities themselves, but helping family members and loved ones access psychoeducation, normalization and helpful tools and processing. The group did a fabulous job in their role plays which really helped me to see what a situation like this would be like, and I really enjoyed looking through their Wiki page-well done!!

Paraphillias and Non-paraphillic Hypersexuality
      Wow what a topic! This presentation, along with the assigned chapters, really opened my eyes to how many different paraphillias exist as well as how little research has been done in better understanding these phenomenon. I found the ethical dilemma that the group presented was quite important in distinguishing the difference between a paraphillia and a paraphillic disorder. I appreciated the presenters highlighted these differences and normalized that if these "out of the ordinary" acts or behaviors helped people maintain their sexuality in a healthy and non-stressful or unsafe manner, then who are we to say that it is a disorder? The pictures with captions and videos really highlighted this notion of shame that is associated with these paraphillias and the notion that we need to help change society's perspectives in this way. However, on the same note I must admit I had never thought about what our roles as MFT's would be in regards to reporting such disorders and how this would effect the client's ability to receive treatment. Definitely an eye-opener for me and a reminder that it is SO important to constantly be reading up on literature and checking in with a supervisor whenever at all doubtful of our role.
       I really enjoyed reading through this group's Wiki page and felt that it had a good balance of information and interesting and useful websites and resources. Similar to the previous presentation, I appreciated that the project included several different paraphillias in order to gain a better understanding. I also really enjoyed watching the videos on the Wiki page that demonstrated various different paraphillias that people experience. I will certainly be referencing this page if I encounter a client who is struggling with a paraphillia or non-paraphillic hypersexuality! well done group : )

Orgasm Disorder and Delayed Ejaculation Wiki page

I found this wiki page to be quite informative and appreciated the comic relief embedded within the heavy factual information. I thought it was so creative and eye opening to see what comes up when typing into google "female" "orgasm". This provides a good sense as to what the common person accesses when seeking basic psychoeducation surrounding problems with orgasm such as female orgasmic disorder.

I feel that if I encounter a client who is struggling with either of these conditions I will be able to review this page and easily find the information that I would need because my classmates clearly organized etiology, risk factors, treatment, etc. I also found the websites and articles helpful resources to refer back to if necessary. In being a visual learner I appreciate the bullet points and written info, but I found it really helpful to also have the several videos that also provided psychoeducation for those who learn best by hearing information. I also liked that the provided websites were not solely empirical but quick light reading that can be informative for females, males, and couples.

Well done ladies!! : )

Desire and Arousal Disorders WIKI page

In the nature of being a co-author of the current WIKI page I clearly have a biased viewpoint. With that said, I found my classmates' sections to be extremely informative. I appreciate that they broke it down into sections so that it was easy for me to utilize this as a resource in completing my intake form for women's sexual functioning pertaining to SIAD. I also found it refreshing to experience the videos and cartoons sporadically throughout the page because they provided some informative information as well as a comical break. I was also able to find useful assessment measures to apply to my intake assignment. I look forward to seeing the upcoming WIKI pages and to be impressed by my brilliant and witty classmates!! :)

vagina weight lifter!

Wow! I somehow got onto the topic of vaginal health with a friend of mine and she mentioned this incredible woman named Kim Anami who practices so much vaginal health that she does it through weight lifting-weight lifteing with her vagina!! talk about keugals!

On a more serious note, it is good to see someone who is promoting the power of women and encouraging women to not be afraid of this part of our body that can often be negatively portrayed in our society. Embrace what you've got and make it strong!
http://elitedaily.com/news/world/woman-lifts-things-vagina-travels-world-show-off/913784/ 

In response to the recent NYtimes article I feel like this song is necessary

let's be honest this song is always necessary. 

Has anyone seen this before? Sex Box. It's interesting to see what people are willing to watch for entertainment, and at the same time, how little people know about sexual interactions and ways in which we can work towards ameliorating our sexual relationships. I'm torn with this show because on one hand I am happy to see that people are finally coming out and talking about their sexual problems and providing some psychoeducation and normalization; and on the other hand I'm nervous about false information being portrayed and/or people getting the wrong messages about this due to the (lets be honest) TERRIBLE delivery of sex therapy. Have sex in a box while we all wait outside patiently? really?! I feel so badly for the couples who earnestly were seeking out help on this show and who may have damaged their relationships even further by pushing in a direction that was maladaptive, or not a solution to their problems. Although I am sure there are exceptions, it appears to me that so often sexual problems arise from non sexual stressors/barriers that will not be solved by "trying harder" while your oxytocin levels are high.

NBC's critique- http://www.wetv.com/shows/sex-box

Class film

I found the film that we watched in class to be informative in seeing a manner of working with couples who are struggling with their sex lives. Although at the beginning of the video I thought that she may take more of a medical perspective due to her medical assessments, I liked that the therapist did not solely focus on the biological component of the partners' sexual functioning. We saw her take a biopsychosocial perspective in assessing the medical aspects of the partners (e.g. when she tested the women for blood flow in their vaginal walls), but she also explored issues related to the individuals (including family of origin concerns such as in the police officer's upbringing with a violent father, as well as the trauma in regards to one of the females) as well as relational interactions between the partners.

I appreciated that not only her assessments covered a broad spectrum but that her treatment did as well. She demonstrated that although couples may present with similar dilemmas, every case is different and couples may need varying interventions, whether it be gaining trust in one another, opening communication, identifying historical barriers, or accepting vulnerability. I appreciated that this occurred in stages and that she worked simultaneously in therapy as well as homework assignments. I did acknowledge, however, that the nature of the video allowed for couples to make progress in quite a short amount of time, whereas I would suspect in everyday life it may take far longer for couples to make change (again, a case to case basis).