Talula and Lindsay’s Advice for Occupational Therapy Students Jazzed about Sexual Health
A note from Kathryn: I average 5 emails a week from OT students asking the question, “where do I start?”, “what do I do if this content isn’t addressed within my program?”, “who can mentor me?”. Additionally, 15% of CSOT enrollees are students (see below for student discount details), hungry for information about Sexual Health OT because they know their program didn’t prepare them. I met Talula and Lindsay back in February at the full day CEU training I did with Dev hosted by Jefferson Health. As students, Lindsay and Tatula dove deep into Sexual Health OT and I wanted to share the advice that they give to fellow students.
Guest writers: Lindsay Coll, OTR/L, Talula Birch, OTMS
Editor: Dr. Kathryn Ellis
Sex is an ADL. However, we soon noticed that sexual activity is rarely mentioned in OT curriculum, and left us feeling unprepared on how to actually address these topics with colleagues and peers let alone our actual patients. Throughout our time together we worked to find ways to close these gaps in our knowledge so we could become holistic providers who are prepared to address sexual health. Here are some of our recommendations for other students who want to do the same!
1. Acknowledge your positionality
Why is learning about sexual health something that is important to you? Allow yourself space to feel throughout this process, you might feel awkward or uncomfortable at times and that is completely ok! It is important to take the time to identify your own biases (perhaps a personal belief that you should only have one partner at a time) or feelings (perhaps noticing a nervousness that you’ll mess up when working with client of a different sexual orientation) that may arise throughout this process and plan how you will address these bias or feelings moving forward. It is important to note that self-reflection and scanning for your own bias is an iterative process that continues throughout your entire career.
2. Explore available resources
While not always incorporated into OT curriculums, education on sexual health is available to you. As a student, you have access to lots of educational resources, often more than practicing OTs may have, so take advantage of it! Additionally, there are available continuing education courses that you can access without being licensed yet! The ISOT is a great resource and where we actually took a course while still in our graduate year! There are online resources that provide access to theory, definitions, and foundations which is a great place to start!
3. Learn from lived experiences
While we can learn from textbooks or courses, it’s important to engage others in productive and respectful dialogues to learn directly from the individuals we work with. Every person has the capacity to be a sexual being and the idea that anyone is a sexless being tends to be rooted in inequality - whether ageism, ableism, or some other bias. Amplifying and listening to the voices of those who are directly impacted by our service delivery in this area is a really great way to learn and advocate. You can also find individuals willing to talk about their experiences on social media, in books, documentaries. Lastly, if you have a good relationship with a client at your fieldwork, you can ask to interview them about their sexual health and what they wish providers would be addressing. Kathryn got her start informally interviewing patients she had good rapport with at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
4. Apply your learning
Sexual activity is absolutely an ADL that can and should be addressed by OT, so ask for information regarding these topics whether in the classroom, with professors, or with other professionals. Some of the ways that we applied our learning included challenging our professors to address these topics in the classroom, completing projects both in class and on our level 2 fieldworks, and engaging our peers in dialogue to promote further learning and reduce stigma. Don't be afraid to be the person bringing it up, quite frankly, if you’re here reading this blog, you're the perfect person to be bringing it up! Talking about it in class will open doors for others to learn and discover interest. Additionally, you can do an activity analysis on yourself when you’re engaging in either solo or partnered sex.
5. Be the change
You can be part of the change! Take note of the places you see gaps and identify what you feel like is missing while you’re learning, these are great places to watch the field expand or contribute your own research or knowledge to someday. Advocate for integration of these topics into your classrooms, curriculum, and even fieldwork locations. Know that there is a network of people waiting for you, this is a journey that others have gone through and you are not alone!
Here’s some other blogs students will find helpful.
What to Do When Clients Get Cagey
15 Questions to Guide Your Eval
5 Things to Know About Sex Work
No We Don’t Need Privacy to Talk About Sex
For the CSOT Student Discount, contact Kathryn from your .edu address.