Barry McCarthy - Sex Made Simple: Clinical Strategies for Sexual Issues in Therapy

SEX

MADE SIMPLE

Clinical Strategies
For Sexual Issues In Therapy

Exercises Guidelines Case Studies

Barry McCarthy, PhD

Barry McCarthy has written a thorough, state-of-the-art, and, above all, a practical guide for any therapist who ever encounters a sexual problem in clients. It can be used as a reference by topic or gulped down in one piece. Sex Made Simple should be on the bookshelf of every working couples therapist.

-Terry Real, LICSW Author of The New Rules of Marriage & I Dont Want to Talk About It

Once again Barry McCarthy offers us a thoughtful and profound book on sexuality, one that takes the angst out of sexuality and offers a clear straightforward path to sexual fulfillment.

-Sue Johnson, EdD Founder of the International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy and author of Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love and Love Sense: The Revolutionary New Science of Romantic Relationships

The time has come for therapists to become sex positive and up-to-date with the latest sex therapy information and Barry McCarthy is the therapist to provide it. With his pro-sexuality stance, he corrects the myths by citing current research and transforming it into good, solid clinical work. This book provides therapists with step-by-step treatment planning and goals for all clients and is inclusive of gender, sexual orientations and diverse sexual expressions. After finishing this book, therapists will be armed with the right tools and information they need to provide sex therapy.

-Joe Kort, PhD, LMSW Author of Gay Affirmative Therapy for the Straight Clinician

Dr. McCarthy has, once again, demonstrated why he is considered a master sex therapist. In this book, he has taken what are often considered extremely complex sexual difficulties, and made them simple. Through the effective use of text, case studies and very user-friendly exercises, Dr. McCarthy has created an invaluable guide for clinicians and couples alike.

-Daniel N. Watter, EdD President, Society for Sex Therapy and Research

Sex Made Simple should be part of every therapists library! Specifically written for the general psychotherapist, it is brimming with practical information, case illustrations and valuable clinical experience.

-Robert Taylor Segraves, MD Editor, Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy

An excellent resource! As therapists we often focus on helping couples improve sexual functioning, yet Barry McCarthy explains that the real struggle is inhibited sexual desire. Focusing on desire as the core component of healthy sexuality, McCarthy delivers brilliant guidelines and exercises to help couples integrate intimacy and eroticism into their sexual style.

-Kathleen Mates-Youngman, MA, LMFT author of Couples Therapy Workbook: 30 Guided Conversations To Re-Connect Relationships

Copyright 2015 by Barry McCarthy, Ph.D.

Published by
PESI Publishing & Media
PESI, Inc
3839 White Ave
Eau Claire, WI 54703

Cover Design: Amy Rubenzer
Layout Design: Bookmasters & Amy Rubenzer
Edited By: Marietta Whittlesey

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 9781559570275

All rights reserved.

AUTHOR

Barry McCarthy, PhD, ABPP, is a board-certified clinical psychologist (ABPP), certified marital and sex therapist and a tenured professor of psychology at American University. His clinical expertise is in integrating sex therapy strategies and techniques into individual and couple therapy, assessing and treating the most common male and female sexual problems and has special expertise in treating sexual desire disorders.

Dr. McCarthy earned his doctorate and masters degrees from Southern Illinois University, and his bachelors degree from Loyola University. His professional memberships include the American Psychological Association, American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, Society for Sex Therapy and Research and Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. He earned his Diplomate in sex therapy from the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists.

As a leading expert in this field, Dr. McCarthy has presented over 350 workshops around the world, and his extensive list of publications includes over 100 professional articles, 26 book chapters and co-authorship of 14 books, including Rekindling Desire (2nd edition), Sexual Awareness (5th edition), Enduring Desire, Discovering Your Couple Sexual Style, Mens Sexual Health, Coping with Erectile Dysfunction, Getting It Right the First Time, and Coping with Premature Ejaculation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Psychobiosocial Model of Assessment, Treatment, and Relapse Prevention

This is a clinically-oriented book for therapists who are not specialists in sex therapy. Sex therapy is best understood as a sub-specialty of couple therapy. Clinicians often find that their training in sexuality from graduate courses, externships, internships, and continuing education programs is absent or woefully inadequate. This book is meant to fill that need and help clinicians provide a valuable service to their clients, specifically individuals and couples struggling with intimacy and sexuality issues.

Sexuality has a paradoxical role for individuals and couples. When sexuality is healthy it is a small, integral factor in the persons life and intimate relationship. Healthy sexuality has a 15-20 percent role of energizing the relationship and reinforcing feelings of desire and desirability. However, dysfunctional, conflictual, and especially avoidant sexuality has an inordinately powerful negative role, subverting feelings of intimacy and threatening relational stability. Couple sex therapy is not to compensate for past problems or have the couple become the sexiest couple in the community, but to restore sexuality to the 15-20 percent positive role of sharing pleasure, reinforcing intimacy, and sexuality as a tension-reducer to help deal with the realities of life and an intimate relationship (McCarthy & McCarthy, 2014).

A powerful old myth about couple sexuality is that the closer, more communicative, more intimate the relationship, the better the sex. A powerful new myth is that the key to resolving sex dysfunction is a stand-alone medical intervention-medication, hormone, or injection. The reality is that sexuality is multi-causal and multi-dimensional with large individual, couple, cultural, and value differences. Sexually, one size never fits all.

We use the psychobiosocial model (the common term is biopsychosocial) for assessment, treatment, and relapse prevention. We prefer to emphasize psychological factors in sexuality and sex therapy because it is a better fit for dealing with couple sexual dysfunction, especially desire problems (McCarthy & Wald, in press).

The new mantra in sex therapy is desire/pleasure/eroticism/satisfaction (Foley, Kope, & Sugrue, 2012). Although the traditional focus on arousal, intercourse, and orgasm is integral to sexual function, it is clear that the most important dimension is desire. The prime function of couple sexuality is to energize the bond and reinforce feelings of desire and desirability.