Human Sexuality in Counseling

Human Sexuality in Counseling: The Art of Healing equips graduate mental health students and practicing clinicians with a sex-positive, multicultural, and clinically grounded roadmap for addressing sexual health, identity, relationships, and dysfunction within general counseling practice.

This textbook bridges theory and practice by integrating foundational and advanced counseling competencies into each chapter on human sexuality topics, including anatomy and sexual development, gender and orientation, assessment and ethical issues, sexual violence and trauma, sexual dysfunctions and paraphilias, disability, relationship diversity, kink, sex work, and addictions. Each chapter provides evidence-informed frameworks, step-by-step clinical strategies, and realistic case vignettes that demonstrate skill application across diverse populations and clinical settings, while linking content to relevant professional codes and credentialing pathways. The book emphasizes cultural humility, sex positivity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and clear guidance on when to refer to specialty sex therapy services.

Intended primarily for master's- and doctoral-level counseling courses and clinicians, this text also serves marriage and family therapists, social workers, psychologists, and allied professionals seeking practical, evidence-based skills to handle sexuality-related concerns in general counseling without immediately referring to specialty sex therapy.