Episode 139: The Leather Couch – Kink, BDSM, and Sex Therapy
October 25, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Imagine you are a sex therapist and one of your patients discloses a sexual interest that either makes you personally uncomfortable or is something you are totally unfamiliar with. This often happens when kinky people seek out sex therapy, and it sometimes results in clients not getting the help they really need. So let’s talk about navigating sex therapy with kinky clients. We’re going to discuss what therapists need to know, as well as how patients can identify kink-affirming providers.
I am joined once again by Stefani Goerlich, award-winning author of The Leather Couch: Clinical Practice with Kinky Clients and its sequel, titled Kink-Affirming Practice: Culturally Competent Therapy from The Leather Chair. Some of the topics we discuss include:
- How much training do sex therapists usually get in the area of kink and BDSM anyway?
- How do you deal with a problem like sexual shame?
- How do you navigate power dynamics in the therapy office with kinky clients?
- What should you do when a client expresses a sexual interest that makes you uncomfortable?
- What should you do when a client’s sexual interests pose a very high risk of harm to the self or others? How do you encourage safety without shaming them?
- Where’s the best place to find a kink-affirming therapist?
Find kink-aware professionals through the NCSF directory or the AASECT directory.
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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.
Dr. Justin Lehmiller
Founder & Owner of Sex and PsychologyDr. Justin Lehmiller is a social psychologist and Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute. He runs the Sex and Psychology blog and podcast and is author of the popular book Tell Me What You Want. Dr. Lehmiller is an award-winning educator, and a prolific researcher who has published more than 50 academic works.
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