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Handouts & questionnaires for healthy sexuality, sexual dysfunctions, and for abuse

Here are a series of handouts,questionnaires and book suggestions for healthy sexuality, for sexual dysfunctions, and for abuse screening. 

Touch, sex & caring - this two page Word handout is rather dated now, but still makes a series of very valid points.

Sexual interaction inventory - this questionnaire asks about current and desired sexual interactions.  It can be very helpful for couples to complete this and discuss how they have scored it.  It requires a fair amount of openness to do this, but it can be very worthwhile.  This opening-up-the-territory exploration can also be much helped by reading (and discussing) good books on sexuality such as the well known "Guide to getting it on" by Paul Joannides, about which one reviewer commented "It's fair to say that no matter what your level of sexual experience is, or how much of a great lover you might think you are, this book is guaranteed to put a smile on your face - and perhaps someone else's." 

IIEF-5 scale & scoring (men) - this is the 5 question version of the International Index of Erectile Function - useful for assessing and monitoring change in ability to achieve and maintain erections.

Sexual experiences scale & scoring (men) - the male version of the 5 question Arizona sexual experiences scale can be helpful in assessing and monitoring problems with libido, arousal and orgasm.  The scoring sheet gives limited but useful suggestions on assessment.

Sexual experiences scale & scoring (women) - the female version of the 5 question Arizona sexual experiences scale can be helpful in assessing and monitoring problems with libido, arousal and orgasm.  The scoring sheet gives limited but useful suggestions on assessment.

IC & BS exercises - this is an interesting set of pelvic floor muscle training exercises that can be used to help treat erectile dysfunction non-pharmacologically.

Sensate focus exercises, introduction - this introduction to sensate focus exercises for sexual problems is taken from Greenwood & Bancroft's book "Counselling for sexual problems".  I put together this handout when I did a psychosexual training a number of years ago.  There are a series of more recently published books on sexual problems that it may be worth looking at.  Examples include Ford's "Overcoming sexual problems" (which describes sensate focus and other exercises well), the related book by Crowe "Overcoming relationship problems", and the McCarthys' "Rekindling desire".

Sensate focus exercises, instructions, exercise one, exercise two, exercise three, exercise four, exercise five, exercise six - practical behavioural interventions for sexual problems make very good sense.  It's very important not to get caught into only talking about difficulties.  In a similar way though, in my experience as a therapist, it's also very important to make time to discuss sensitively and encouragingly issues that are triggered by working with the exercises ... and not to apply the exercises in too much of a one-size-fits-all kind of way.  Here Vicki Ford's book (see above) is probably well worth getting hold of.  Even in our so-called liberated age, most couples feel cautious about discussing sexual issues.  Many couples never openly discuss sex in any kind of detailed way.  It's not surprising.  This is tender territory where it's easy to end up feeling misunderstood or hurt.  It's also important territory, where discussion and problem-solving can be tremendously helpful.

Abuse screening, child/adult & sexual/physical - here is a helpful brief screening scale for both child & adult experiences of sexual & physical abuse.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) scale & background - Adverse experiences in childhood and adolescence are common.  In a major US survey of 7 adverse experiences - psychological, physical, or sexual abuse; violence against mother; or living with household members who were substance abusers, mentally ill or suicidal, or ever imprisoned - over half those surveyed reported at least one such experience in childhood, and about 25% reported two or more such experiences.  Increasing numbers of such experiences in childhood and adolescence is associated with step by step increases in the subsequent adult risk of suffering from depression, alcohol abuse, smoking, obesity, risky sexual behaviour, suicide, heart disease, skeletal fractures,  liver disease, chronic lung disease, and cancer.  Identifying and helping adults at risk because of such childhood experiences should be a health priority.  For more details of the ACE study and the 30 or more research papers published, see www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/ace

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I cannot thank you enough

I cannot thank you enough for making these handouts available online- as a marriage and family therapist, there are NEVER enough useful, useable handouts to utilize in therapy with couples! Thank you so very much!!

I cannot thank you enough

Brilliant ... great that it's been so useful.  With all best wishes for you and your work.  James