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3 Things to Know About Sexuality and Intimacy: An Occupational Therapy Approach [New Textbook Announcement!]

intimacy occupational therapy occupationaltherapy physical therapy sexuality textbook Apr 11, 2023

"Sexuality and intimacy contain so much more than the act of sexual activity. Beyond the physical mechanics of “sexual activity,” sexual and intimate occupations encompass a broad range of personally meaningful activities for building intimate partnerships, developing a sense of self, actualizing desire, and experiencing pleasure.” - Ellis & Ungco, 2023.

TLDR: Love the quote, ready to order? Click here to order the textbook.

Want the back story? Read on...

In 2017, I sent the first email to AOTA Press pitching a new sexuality textbook. I wanted a sexuality textbook that infused OT’s moto of living life fully throughout the content. A textbook that celebrated and gave intervention strategies for thriving versus surviving. A textbook that wasn’t afraid to talk about pleasure and acknowledges OT’s role in intimate social skills. A textbook that offered a broad lens of sexuality reflective of our own personal realities and the...

5 Things to Know About Sex Work

beliefs bias culture equality feminist perspective inclusive occupational therapy occupationaltherapy sex sexual activity Mar 23, 2023

Occupational therapy professionals will work with clients who may hire sex workers or who would benefit from working with a sex worker.

Here are 5 things OTs need to know to be prepared to address sex work with clients and to advocate for destigmatizing sex work:

Sex work is work. Sex work is a consensual transaction between adults, where the act of selling or buying sexual services is not a violation of human rights. Sex work is an umbrella term that can include escort services, street-level sex workers, pornography, exotic dancing, massage, internet work, phone sex operators and third-party support (drivers, managers, bartenders etc.). Sex work is NOT sexual exploitation or trafficking. If the exchange is non consensual, it is violence, and is not considered sex work under the definitions of the World Health Organization.
Like any career, sex work is deserving of respect, non-judgement, and professionalism.
Sex workers...

Helping Parents of Teens with Autism Talk about Dating and Sex: 5 Tips for Occupational Therapists

accessible sex education developmental disability inclusive occupational therapy occupationaltherapy sensory features sexual dialogues sexuality teens young adults Mar 17, 2023

The topic of dating and romance can be quite difficult to initiate with parents of adolescent clients, especially those with autism. However, as an occupational therapist (OT), you can help parents create a safe, calm, and judgment-free space for their teens to freely express their desires.

Here are five tips to help you initiate a healthy conversation about dating and sex with parents of teens with autism:

Use open & validating dialogue: Encourage parents to validate their teen's desires and create a safe and non-judgmental environment for open communication. Acknowledge the discomfort and awkwardness that parents might feel, and encourage them to persist through the discussions.
- Examples of things parents can say:“Yes, I know these feelings can be a little confusing or awkward," or “It’s ok, you’re just learning how to date or ask people out.”
Ask questions about your teen's dating interests: Use initial questions to help...

[Research Spotlight] LGBTQIA+ Affirmative Care: Upholding Professional Responsibilities

beliefs bias culturallyinclusiveadls culture diversity equality inclusive occupational therapy occupationaltherapy self-reflection sexual dialogues values Mar 14, 2023

I recently read an AJOT study that I couldn’t wait to share with you all as it shows the power of continuing education.

A study conducted last year by Bolding et al. (2022) examined the knowledge, clinical preparedness, and attitudinal awareness of occupational therapy practitioners, in regards to the LGBTQIA+ folks. This self-report study was broken down by category and found that on a scale of 1-7, respondents scored a mean of 4.7 in their Knowledge about queer populations, 4.4 in Clinical Preparedness, and 5.6 in Attitudinal Awareness.

There were a number of factors that contributed to respondents scoring significantly higher in all three sub-scales, including a graduate degree in OT, past or present experience in mental health settings, or respondents with a close friend or family member who identifies as SGM (sexual gender minorities e.g., agender, bisexual, gay, lesbian, gay, gender non-conforming, transgender). Academic preparedness and continuing education...

OTPF Body Structure and Function Highlight

bias intimacy occupational therapy occupationaltherapy pleasure preferences sex sexplay sexual dialogues Oct 15, 2022

Despite anecdotal evidence regarding the potential for pleasure from anal play, it remains a taboo subject in the context of female sexuality. This partly stems from the fact that we often associate anal pleasure specifically with anal sex, namely anal penetration of a penis, which can be a daunting proposition for a woman who has never experimented with any sort of anal stimulation.

But what if we looked at anal play as just as varied as the different flavors of ice cream and numerous options for toppings on an ice cream sundae??

Prior to their first experience with vaginal intercourse, most women experiment with other forms of vaginal and clitoral stimulation – be that masturbation, fingering, or oral sex with a partner – so why don’t we consider the potential for anal stimulation to be just as diverse and gradual?

To compound the issue, the research surrounding anal pleasure for women is influenced by this same...

Integrating Pleasure Throughout the Day

educational handouts occupational therapy occupationaltherapy pleasure preferences sensory features sex sexplay sexual activity sexual communication sexual dialogues sexuality Oct 15, 2022

The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework 4th edition define "routines" as:

"Routines For persons, groups, and populations: Patterns of behavior that are observable, regular, and repetitive and that provide structure for daily life. They can be satisfying and promoting or damaging. Routines require momentary time commitment and are embedded in cultural and ecological contexts (Fiese et al., 2002; Segal, 2004; see Table 6)."

Working with clients on their sexual routines is one of my top 5 ways I fall in love with OT again and again - every time. It reminds me how perfectly situated Occupational Therapy Professionals are to discuss sexuality in our clinical practice. We understand the impact of routines and specifically how occupations are sequenced together to facilitate participation, satisfaction, quality of life, and in some cases a great roll in the hay!

Working with your clients to have and enjoy sex needs to involve a conversation...

Is your Sex and Intimacy OT Practice more Victoria's Secret or Rihanna’s SavageXFenty?

bias diversity equality feminist perspective inclusive preferences self-advocacy self-love self-reflection self-talk self-validation Oct 15, 2022

Before you read on, here's a self-assessment to stoke self reflection.

Take a look at Victoria's Secret's website and Rihanna’s SavagexFenty website. Ask yourself: “if my sex and intimacy occupational therapy practice was either Victoria’s Secret or SavagexFenty, which one would it be?”

Here are some questions:

If you have patient handouts, who is visually represented in them?
What clients do you address sex and intimacy with and which ones do you hesitate to address it with?
Do you ask your clients what kind of sex they have or what it typically looks like?
Are you comfortable celebrating the expansive forms of sexuality and ways sexual activity can be engaged in? Does this acceptance translate when you’re working with your clients?

Last week, I wanted to buy a few new pieces of lingerie. Like an old habit, I typed Victoria’s Secret into my google search bar and went to the...

Sexual Autonomy for OT Clients Post-Roe v Wade

culture feminist perspective inclusive occupational therapy occupationaltherapy politics quality of life values Oct 15, 2022

It’s taken me a while to process how I feel about the overturning of Roe v. Wade. I had to process how I felt about this personally, and then clinically.

Remember, we are sexual beings first, and OT professionals second.

I speak often about the importance of self-reflection and processing of our sexual values, beliefs, attitudes, and biases to ensure they aren’t influential in our clinical decision making. As painful or uncomfortable as it might be, I encourage all OT professionals, if you haven’t already, to really sit with the personal thoughts and feelings that come up in self-reflection about what this means for you as a sexual person.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade disproportionately affects people that already belong to marginalized groups. This means that there will be additional barriers and dangers around abortion, contraception, reproduction, pregnancy, and child care for all people...

🚨 New Assistive Device for Folks with Disabilities 🚨

equality inclusive occupational therapy occupationaltherapy pleasure quality of life self-care self-love self-pleasure sex sexplay Oct 15, 2022

A fellow baddie, collaborator, advocate, and sex enthusiast, Andrew Gurza, is the brains (and body inspiration) behind an assistive device Occupational Therapy Professionals MUST know about. It’s my pleasure to share about this sex toy adaptor that is on pre-sale right now (more on that later).

The Bump’n Joystick adapter is the first sex toy designed for and by people within the disabled community. Research shows that impaired hand function is the biggest barrier to using sex toys currently on the market – over 50% of physically disabled people surveyed said they struggle to achieve an orgasm solo. The Bump’n joystick removes this barrier and makes self-love possible regardless of hand function, by utilizing a person’s gross motor movements.

So what is it? The Bump’n joystick is about 3 ft. long and made up of a cuddly pillow top and a gender-neutral peg attachment to hold the sex toy in place.

The body...

New Sexual Wellness App for OTs!!

accessible sex education diversity equality inclusive occupational therapy occupationaltherapy pleasure quality of life self-care self-love self-pleasure sexassist sexplay Jul 28, 2022

When I first started addressing sexuality with clients and making recommendations for sex toys I went through the steps of printing out a screen shot of a vibrator on a work computer, folding it in half, and slyly giving it to my client in front of their families.

But now, thanks to the folks at Direct-Rec App, OT clinicians can share sexual wellness products directly and privately with their clients. Dang… where was this 10 years ago!?

Ok, so what is Direct-Rec?

Direct-Rec is a new app that can help clinicians share equipment and product recommendations quickly and securely with patients. The folks at Direct-Rec teamed up with the OT educators at the OT After Dark Podcast to create a category of sexual wellness products with information on how the products can be helpful to specific patients based on their specific challenges, sexual goals, or interests. This might be a vibrator with an extended reach, slings and supports to...

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Author

Kathryn Ellis (she/her)

Hi! I'm an Occupational Therapist, ASSECT Certified Sexuality Counselor, and pleasure enthusiast! Here to write about all things sexuality + OT related. If you're an OT looking to learn more poke around the website. If you think you'd like to work with me for sexuality counseling, check out www.drkathrynellis.com to learn more!

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