Reflective Practice for Skill Development in Sex Therapists

As a professional in the workforce, it's important to recognize when you are doing a good job but also when things can be done better. Having the capacity for self practice and self reflection goes a long way into developing professional skills that will make you learn and grow. Reflective practice involves reflecting on one's actions and learning from them by reframing the way problems are solved (Admin, n.d; Healy & Murphy, 2023). Self-reflection facilitates change through learning, leading to both personal and professional growth (Rigg & Trehan, 2008). More and more, these self reflective practices have become useful in professions such as: teaching, management and psychological counseling amongst many others.

For mental health professionals, this self reflecting practices have become useful when faced with a moment like, what to say to a client in response to a given question or how to interpret a client's resistance to an intervention (Lilienfeld & Basterfield, 2020). In the category of counseling and therapy, one of the specialties most in need of utilizing the benefits of self-reflective practices is sex therapy. This profession involves working closely with individuals and couples to help with their sexual and intimate difficulties, such as performance anxiety or intimacy issues (Sex Therapist, n.d.). Working so closely and intimately with a patient requires a level of trust, respect, and empathy to make the client comfortable enough to share their troubles. However, there must also be a level of self-reflection from both sides.

Self-reflection and self-practice enable therapists to gain a deeper understanding of their clients by using empathy to better grasp their situations and emotions (Barnet-Levy et al., 2003). They gain an inner sense of how a client might feel or think when facing the need to make changes in their lives or dealing with difficult situations. (Barnet-Levy et al., 2003). By connecting and empathizing with the client's emotions through self-reflection, the therapist can develop a better understanding of the client's pain, difficulty in making changes, and nature of their decisions, bringing a more nuanced sensitivity to the client's ongoing experiences (Greenberg & Goldman, 1988). This ability to attune to the client's experience through self-reflection makes the therapeutic experience more flexible and tailored to accommodate each unique context.

Using frameworks like Gibbs Reflective Cycle (Lilienfeld & Basterfield, 2020) or the Appreciative Change Management Approach (Dixon et al., 2016), the process of self-reflection can be accomplished in a smoother, more step-by-step way. However, these approaches are very different and can be used depending on the career path being taken. Gibbs (1988) proposed a six-stage process of reflective practice, involving describing a clinical interaction, examining thoughts and feelings, evaluating what went well and what didn't, analyzing the interaction, drawing conclusions on what could have been done differently, and formulating an action plan for similar situations. The Appreciative Change Management Approach, on the other hand, follows steps to appreciate, imagine, design, and act (Dixon et al., 2016). This approach may be better suited for sex therapy because it focuses on understanding strengths, talents, and limitations to foster a culture of appreciation, which can be particularly beneficial in a field where empathy, understanding, and innovative solutions are essential for addressing intimate and sensitive issues.

Self-reflection can be used actively in therapy with a client, as well as to improve oneself. Providing the client with a more empathetic and personalized experience through active listening establishes a better therapist-client connection. However, sometimes a therapist's own views and opinions can get in the way. Therapists should be there to help patients live meaningful lives (Metz, 2016). Through self-reflection, a professional can view problems and situations from different perspectives, gaining new understanding of a specific situation that may not come instantly (Dixon et al., 2016). This is why it is important to take time for self-reflection alone to better accommodate ideas and have the best potential for growth from a difficult situation.

Understanding the significance of self-reflection is important when developing skills for professional development. Becoming a psychologist involves acquiring both interpersonal skills and technical skills for investigation. These two aspects are very important in any career path toward becoming a psychologist, yet the balance between them varies depending on the specific path chosen. Each career path within psychology requires a different emphasis on professional skills based on its unique demands (Psychology Careers Guide, n.d.). Considering that psychology has many different career paths, it's important to note that different professions within the psychological field will involve varying amounts of interpersonal and technical skills.

When delving into the realm of sex therapy, it becomes evident that clients prioritize certain skills in their therapists, such as active listening, empathetic response, and the creation of a sex-positive and non-judgmental environment (Hirschman, 2023; Landes et al., 2013). These skills are not only crucial for fostering trust but also for facilitating open and honest discussions about sensitive topics. However, acquiring and honing these skills requires a deliberate and systematic approach, which is where reflective practices play a pivotal role. By engaging in reflective practices, therapists can gain deeper insights into their interactions with clients, identify areas for improvement, and refine their therapeutic approach accordingly.

In this context, the Appreciative Change Management Approach emerges as a valuable tool for therapists seeking to enhance their skills in sex therapy. In Dixon et al. (2016) paper, they mention the concept of the Appreciative Change Management Approach, where you follow the steps to: appreciate, imagine, design, and act. The process of appreciating got its inspiration from appreciative inquiry and appreciative intelligence and it works by: focusing, understanding, and valuing one's own and others' strengths, talents, limitations, and self-worth. After appreciating, one must take the step to imagine, using reflective practices to reframe and manage what has been learned through documentation. Once the experience has been absorbed, the third step is to Design, which involves harnessing individual expertise and connecting innovative ideas to create collective wisdom. This requires critical and creative thinking, emotional literacy, and political acuity. Finally, action should be taken based on the collected knowledge acquired from the experience, considering that sometimes the best action might be to take no action at all (Dixon et al., 2016).

References

Admin, L. (n.d.). LibGuides: Reflective Practice Toolkit: What is reflective practice? Retrieved June 9, 2024, from https://libguides.cam.ac.uk/reflectivepracticetoolkit/whatisreflectivepractice

Barnet-Levy, J., Lee, N., Travers, K., Pohlman, S., & Hamernik, E. (2003). COGNITIVE THERAPY FROM THE INSIDE: ENHANCING THERAPIST SKILLS THROUGH PRACTISING WHAT WE PREACH. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 31(2), 143–158. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465803002029

Dixon, M., Lee, S., & Ghaye, T. (2016). Strengths-Based Reflective Practices for the Management of Change: Applications from Sport and Positive Psychology. Journal of Change Management, 16(2), 142–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/14697017.2015.1125384

Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Educational Unit, Oxford Polytechnic, Oxford.

Greenberg, L. S., & Goldman, R. L. (1988). Training in experiential therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56(5), 696–702. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.56.5.696

Hirschman, C. (2023, August 23). 12 In-demand Sex Therapist Skills in 2024. Somatica Institute. https://www.somaticainstitute.com/blog/12-in-demand-sex-therapist-skills-in-2023/

Landes, S. J., Burton, J. R., King, K. M., & Sullivan, B. F. (2013). Women’s preference of therapist based on sex of therapist and presenting problem: An analog study. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 26(3–4), 330–342. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2013.819795

Lilienfeld, S. O., & Basterfield, C. (2020). Reflective practice in clinical psychology: Reflections from basic psychological science. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 27(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/cpsp.12352

Psychology careers guide. (n.d.). Https://Www.Apa.Org. Retrieved June 10, 2024, from https://www.apa.org/education-career/guide/careers

Rigg, C., & Trehan, K. (2008). Critical reflection in the workplace: is it just too difficult? Journal of European Industrial Training, 32(5), 374–384. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090590810877094

Sex Therapist: What They Do and When To See One. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved June 9, 2024, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24524-sex-therapist

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