Main description:

Sexual Dysfunction in Women is a concise yet detailed clinical guide to the treatment of sexual difficulties in women. Written with the general psychologist and therapist in mind and being published with a companion volume on Sexual Dysfunction in Men, it takes the novel position that most clinicians interested and willing to help female clients with sexual concerns can do so effectively, even if they do not primarily consider themselves as sex therapists. Many women will experience difficulties with desire, arousal, orgasm, or pain with intercourse at some point in the course of their lives, yet most clinicians feel less equipped to treat sexual dysfunction than far less prevalent disorders. This book empowers general psychologists, therapists, and other practitioners to actively engage in the multidisciplinary treatment of sexual disorders and broaden their knowledge base about sexuality, an important component of most clients' quality of life. It is both a go-to resource for professional clinicians in their daily work and an ideal resource for students and practice-oriented continuing education.

Contents:

Table of Contents (preliminary) Preface Dedication 1. Description 1.1. Terminology 1.2. Definition 1.2.1. Traditional models of the sexual response 1.2.2. Challenges to traditional models of the sexual response 1.2.3. Sexual dysfunctions in women 1.3. Epidemiology 1.3.1. Low desire or interest in sex 1.3.2. Arousal difficulties 1.3.3. Difficulty with orgasm 1.3.4. Pain with intercourse 1.4. Course and Prognosis 1.5. Differential Diagnosis 1.6. Comorbidities 2. Theories and Models of Sexual Dysfunction 2.1. Barlow's Cognitive-Affective Model 2.2. Dual-Control Model 2.3. The Sexual Tipping Point Model 2.4. Intersystems Approach 2.5. The New View Approach 2.6. Summary and Integration of Models 3. Diagnosis and Treatment Indications 3.1. Biomedical 3.1.1. Age 3.1.2. Hormones 3.1.3. Genes 3.1.4. General health and medical conditions 3.1.5. Medications 3.1.6. Surgery and other treatments 3.2. Psychological 3.2.1. Cognition 3.2.2. Affect 3.2.3. Personality 3.3. Social 3.3.1. Couple relationship 3.3.2. Family of origin 3.3.3. Socio-cultural 4. Treatment 4.1. General Assessment and Treatment Guidelines 4.1.1. Clinician self-efficacy and comfort 4.1.2. Multisystem/Multidisciplinary assessment 4.1.3. Treatment-integrated assessment 4.1.4. Concurrent multidisciplinary treatment 4.1.5. Treating individuals and couples 4.2. Generic Therapy Template 4.2.1. Stage 1: Assess, educate, set goals, reduce distress 4.2.2. Stage 2: Cognitive reframing, emotional regulation, stimulus control and behavioral activation, relationship skills building 4.2.3. Stage 3: Consolidation of gains and relapse prevention 4.3. Dysfunction-Specific Assessment and Treatment components 4.3.1. HSDD 4.3.2. SAD 4.3.3. FSAD 4.3.4. FOD 4.3.5. Dyspareunia 4.3.6. Vaginismus 4.4. Challenges in Therapy 4.4.1. Defining treatment success 4.4.2. The problems of sex as homework 4.4.3. Negotiating the level of structure 4.4.4. Avoiding therapist-induced performance anxiety 4.4.5. Attention to secondary gain 4.5. Multicultural Issues 4.5.1. Gender 4.5.2. Religious and cultural norms 4.5.3. Sexual identity and orientation 5. Case Vignette 6. Further Reading 7. References 8. Appendices: Tools and Resources