Overview

This book provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the forces that influence sexual dysfunction across the lifespan and equips clinicians with effective strategies to help individuals and couples enhance their intimate connections and overall relationship satisfaction. Drawing from over five decades of clinical experience, master teacher Dr. Stephen B. Levine guides mental health professionals of all experience levels to acquire a deep understanding of the treatment of sexual concerns. Moving beyond the traditional approaches and models for sex therapy, this practical guide illuminates the profound subjectivity behind sexual behavior, exploring the predisposing developmental experiences, precipitating events, and maintaining factors that shape patients' intimate lives. This book offers insights into problems not addressed in diagnostic manuals such as premature cessation of partner sex, betrayal, extra-dyadic relationships, and sexual aversion. Clinical vignettes demonstrate how to compassionately explore the private thoughts, feelings, and conflicts that can create obstacles in loving relationships. This revised edition also includes new chapters on developmental forces that impact sexual dysfunction as well as working with transgender youth and adults. Written in an engaging, supervisory tone that fosters a personal connection with readers, this book reveals how sexuality serves as both a mechanism of self-discovery and a profound means of intimate connection and offers enduring principles that clinicians can apply throughout their careers. This essential resource is designed to help therapists, counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and mental health professionals of all kinds increase their confidence and effectiveness when addressing the sexual concerns that inevitably arise in clinical practice.

Full Product Details

9781041213611

Table of Contents

Reviews

“The first edition of this book was excellent and I referred to it often personally as well as in my teaching with residents. This new edition is as valuable, if not moreso. Dr. Levine is a wise clinician, teacher, and mentor, and in this book one feels like he is coaching you directly. Dr. Levine offers clinical pearls that one will not find in other psychotherapy books.” Lori Brotto, PhD “Dr. Levine tackles subjects other sex therapy texts tend to avoid. His work incorporates many of the more emotional, psychodynamic, and existential aspects of living (i.e. love, relationships, meaning, and connection) and offers a welcome alternative to the popular CBT models. Dr. Levine’s conversational writing style makes this book particularly accessible, especially to those who may have limited confidence in their sex therapy expertise. This makes this book very user-friendly for those mental health practitioners who may be hesitant to take on cases with sexuality as a component.” Daniel N. Watter, PhD, clinical and forensic psychologist/sex therapist; Past President of The Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR) “Now in its latest revision, Dr Stephen B Levine’s Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Sexual Problems: An essential guide for mental health professionals provides a veritable compendium of sexual issues in the clinical setting, ranging from basic concepts, functions and dysfunctions to paraphilias and issues of sexual identity and gender diversity. Not simply a tired list of definitional criteria for pathologic states, Psychotherapeutic Approaches assists the reader with clinical concepts applicable to all patients and to the clinicians who seek to serve them. A career teacher and respected clinician with a half century of experience, Levine has produced a masterpiece accessible to the lay reader and professional alike. Whether sexual identity, dysfunction, trauma or pathology are the identified focus of treatment, virtually any psychotherapy and every psychotherapist will benefit from a careful reading - and re-reading - of Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Sexual Problems: An essential guide for mental health professionals.” Robert J Ronis, MD, MPH, Professor and Chairman Emeritus, Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine “Reading this book feels like sitting in clinical supervision with Dr. Stephen B. Levine himself. Written with wisdom and compassion, this masterful resource illuminates the complexities of sexuality and gender and offers mental health professionals a trusted guide to revisit time and again.” Paul Garcia Ryan, President of Psychotherapy First “Offering the depth and insight of clinical supervision, Dr. Levine invites mental health professionals into a rich dialogue about sexuality in the therapy room. More than a guide to treating sexual difficulties, this book illuminates how engaging with patients’ sexual concerns can deepen therapeutic understanding, enrich the clinical relationship, and foster profound psychological change—for both patient and therapist. A must-read for clinicians seeking to integrate sexual health into their practice with confidence, nuance, and depth.” Kathryn S. K. Hall, Ph.D, Editor of Principles and Practice of Sex Therapy, 6th Edition, Author of Talking About Sex in Psychotherapy: A Guide for Every Clinician

""The first edition of this book was excellent and I referred to it often personally as well as in my teaching with residents. This new edition is as valuable, if not moreso. Dr. Levine is a wise clinician, teacher, and mentor, and in this book one feels like he is coaching you directly. Dr. Levine offers clinical pearls that one will not find in other psychotherapy books."" Lori Brotto, PhD ""Dr. Levine tackles subjects other sex therapy texts tend to avoid. His work incorporates many of the more emotional, psychodynamic, and existential aspects of living (i.e., love, relationships, meaning, and connection) and offers a welcome alternative to the popular CBT models. Dr. Levine’s conversational writing style makes this book particularly accessible, especially to those who may have limited confidence in their sex therapy expertise. This makes this book very user-friendly for those mental health practitioners who may be hesitant to take on cases with sexuality as a component."" Daniel N. Watter, PhD, clinical and forensic psychologist/sex therapist; Past President of The Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR) ""Now in its latest revision, Dr Stephen B. Levine’s Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Sexual Problems: An Essential Guide for Mental Health Professionals provides a veritable compendium of sexual issues in the clinical setting, ranging from basic concepts, functions, and dysfunctions to paraphilias and issues of sexual identity and gender diversity. Not simply a tired list of definitional criteria for pathologic states, Psychotherapeutic Approaches assists the reader with clinical concepts applicable to all patients and to the clinicians who seek to serve them. A career teacher and respected clinician with a half century of experience, Levine has produced a masterpiece accessible to the lay reader and professional alike. Whether sexual identity, dysfunction, trauma, or pathology are the identified foci of treatment, virtually any psychotherapy and every psychotherapist will benefit from a careful reading—and re-reading—of Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Sexual Problems: An Essential Guide for Mental Health Professionals."" Robert J. Ronis, MD, MPH, Professor and Chairman Emeritus, Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine ""Reading this book feels like sitting in clinical supervision with Dr. Stephen B. Levine himself. Written with wisdom and compassion, this masterful resource illuminates the complexities of sexuality and gender and offers mental health professionals a trusted guide to revisit time and again."" Paul Garcia Ryan, President of TherapyFirst ""Offering the depth and insight of clinical supervision, Dr. Levine invites mental health professionals into a rich dialogue about sexuality in the therapy room. More than a guide to treating sexual difficulties, this book illuminates how engaging with patients’ sexual concerns can deepen therapeutic understanding, enrich the clinical relationship, and foster profound psychological change—for both patient and therapist. A must-read for clinicians seeking to integrate sexual health into their practice with confidence, nuance, and depth."" Kathryn S.K. Hall, PhD, Editor of Principles and Practice of Sex Therapy, 6th Edition, Author of Talking About Sex in Psychotherapy: A Guide for Every Clinician

Author Information

Stephen B. Levine, MD, is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, and psychiatrist at DeBalzo, Elgudin, Levine, Risen, LLC, in Beachwood, Ohio.

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