Four Interventions to Address Hypersexualization, Asexualization, & Fetishization

Photo credited to Disabled and Here.

Kathryn collaborated with Dr. Jess Gagui again for this week's blog as a follow up to their last blog focused on the historical context of hypersexualization and fetishization of BIPOC women and femmes.  Be sure to give that a read if you haven't already.  This week focuses on intervention strategies you can use when working with folks who voice experiences of hypersexualization, fetishization, asexualization, and body criticism for not fitting the standard of beauty: for example, white, thin, able bodied.  While last week's blog centered BIPOC women and femmes, we think you’ll find these intervention strategies helpful for many other populations you work with. 

Clients’ experiences related to identity and culture aren’t off limits to clinicians:

Clinicians can, rightfully so, feel cautions to challenge what clients admit as cultural messages.  For example, "I grew up in a Catholic home and still view sex as 'dirty' and 'sinful,' and I’m having a hard time enjoying it,” or “My culture values young women, and women over 40 aren’t considered attractive anymore. Now that I also have multiple sclerosis, I can’t even see myself as sexual.”  A clinician can help the client build self-awareness as to if they also agree with this messaging, explore what beliefs could be more helpful to them, and then define or redefine that for themselves.  

If the client has shared that their personal belief is different from their cultural messaging, the OT/OTAs can empower clients to center their beliefs or create new definitions and values.  

Journaling Prompts

Journaling is a great way to help clients center and establish what their values, beliefs, and preferences are.  Journaling can build self-awareness of how they see themselves, which is very powerful for folks who experience stereotyping. 

1. What messages have you heard about your body that you feel are harmful?  Who told you these messages and, most importantly, are these people you even want to have sex with? 
2. What activities make you feel connected to your body?
3. From Sonya Renee Taylor: In what ways have you been asked to apologize for your body?
4. How do you relate to the word “sexy”? Is this a positive association, to think of yourself as a sexy person?  If not, what word is better?  Powerful? Confident? Sensual? (For an extended discussion of using the word “sexy” with your clients, reference this “Teach Me Sex” with Jess Bauzá de García starting at 10:05 minutes). 
5. When do you feel most sexy, powerful, confident in your body? (i.e. dancing, self-pleasure, wearing sweatpants)? 
6. What can you thank your body for? (i.e. hands for cooking, legs for bike rides, eyes for seeing vibrant colors)
7. What is a small (or big) step to decolonize body/beauty standards in your life? In what ways are you reclaiming your body? (i.e. recognize and call out the white cisgender colonizer in the moment, wear that tank top even though it shows the tattoos that lola/abuela disagrees with, go to the store without make-up?)  

Sexual Expression: 

People can often counter hypersexualization by choosing to not be sexual or to not express themselves as a sexual person.  Conversely, they may respond by expressing themselves to fit the stereotype.  This can be a way to bring their locus of control internally; however, it may or may not be authentic to them.  You can help clients explore this by reverting to those journaling questions above and encouraging them to define and express themselves how they are most comfortable.     

Treatment Idea for a “Sexual Expression Therapeutic Group” in an Outpatient Mental Health Setting:

Throw a party and invite patients to come dressed as their sexy or powerful version of themselves.  During the party, invite people to speak on their outfits, why they feel powerful or sexy, and what it has meant for them to express themselves in this way.  Group facilitators should also dress in an outfit they feel powerful in and share with the group why this is to increase therapeutic use of self. 

Kathryn ran this group before and had a participant reflect that she was always afraid to wear dangly earrings because her mom told her “dangly earrings send the signal that you’re slutty”.  She shared that she felt confident wearing them in public on her way to the party.  She realized she was not targeted as a slut which made her feel more safe to wear dangly earrings.   

Another participant wore what she described as plain clothes the entire party, but when it was her turn to share, she told everyone she was wearing a corset underneath her outfit which made her feel “sooooooo sexy” and excited that “it was her little secret” 

Caution: If patients don’t feel comfortable wearing their outfit in public, encourage them to change once they arrive.  The space should have windows blocked out, so people who are not invited to the group can’t peer in. 

Art Therapy 

Jess uses the following art activities to explore neutral and positive ways to view the body. 

What My Body Does for Me is an art activity about how the body works for the client rather than what their body looks like, creating objectivity. Have them draw a body; it does not have to be of their body, it can be simple (a). Then have them label functions of the body they appreciate and what parts allow them to participate in and enjoy their favorite activities (this can get really fun and cause a lot of blushing). For example, someone might draw an arrow to the mouth and write: “My mouth allows me to devour and taste my favorite treats, talk to a loved one, and make out with my partner (see b for more examples).

a.                  b.

Rebranding: For this activity, start by talking with your client about a body part they like and why (i.e. I like my hands, especially after a manicure). Have them say something else about them and how they help do the things your client enjoys doing (i.e. They allow me to play piano, cook, and self-pleasure). Now, have them pick a body part they are not a fan of and have them draw it as if it were the main image of a logo. Allow them to share one or two reasons why they are not a fan of this part if they are comfortable, if not, allow them to keep it for themselves. Now their challenge is to “rebrand” this body part for themselves by writing down the reasons that the body part allows for their participation and enjoyment of life, similar to the activity above. An example from a mother was “I haven’t been able to lose this belly fat since Edith (name has been changed for confidentiality) was born, but it held her for months until she was ready to be in my arms. My daughter loves to rest her head on it. My cat loves to nap on it. My most satisfying laughs come from my belly.” 

Example reads: ”My Nose: Adorned with gold. Allows me to smell lola’s cooking. A cultural attribute that connects me to my ancestors.”

Mirror Exposure Therapy for a “Body Neutrality” session 

Non-judgemental mirror exposure shifts the attention to a person’s whole body in a neutral, objective way instead of focusing on perceived problem areas (i.e. arms, nose, thighs, etc). At the risk of being obvious, consent to try this activity is imperative. Explain that the purpose of mirror exposure therapy is to practice mindfulness/non-judgment when looking at self and validate that it can be a difficult experience to look at oneself in the mirror after living with unintentional internalized misogyny from growing up being told and shown what the so-called “beauty standard” is. This can be a difficult exercise for clients and it can be very helpful for the clinician to go first and demonstrate what this looks like. 

Jess likes to start with a breathing exercise first so that the client can return to their breath if this activity becomes challenging. The client will stand in front of a full-length mirror and describe their body parts using neutral and objective terms (i.e. for Jess, she  would say: round face, warm ivory textured skin tone, brown almond-shaped eyes, etc). You can tell them to think about how they would explain to an artist how to paint or sculpt them. The client can start from the head or feet and work their way by section to the next body part so that they finish with a description of the whole body.

If your client’s goal is to be body-positive rather than neutral, you can do this activity again, having them focus on the parts of their body they do like. For example, if Jess were modeling she would say, “I love my honey brown eyes. What a gorgeous color.” 

Another suggestion for body positivity is to suggest they adorn or accent parts of their body.  For example, Jess had a hard time, and still does from time to time, liking her nose. She has since adorned it with a beautiful gold ring on one side and a gold and diamond stud on the other side.  Now when she sees her nose in the mirror, she is wowed by the pretty shiny things on it.  Clients can do this with jewelry, tattoos, hair styles, and/or specific clothing.