Module Specifications..
Current Academic Year 2023 - 2024
Please note that this information is subject to change.
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Repeat the module Reassessment of written assignment |
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Description This module is designed to prepare students around aspects of psychosexual issues, desires, and considerations within their ongoing clinical psychotherapeutic work with individual clients and couples. The module considers the relevance of sexual scripts constructed by individuals, systems and societies through varying biological, cultural, sociological, historical, and psychological factors that can impact and influence adult psychosexual self-image and assuredness, sexual functioning, and pleasure. It draws on an integrative approach to psychosexual therapeutic practice with specific reference to humanistic, cognitive-behavioural, systemic, and psychodynamic theories. Students will receive lectures and engage in seminar groups, psychosexual skills development, personal/professional awareness activities and tutor-lead activities. The module is not a specific training for specific psychosexual clinical practice but is a space to initiate the required levels of self-reflection and cultural and professional sexual humility to appreciate how sexual knowledge, questions, and issues, can be both allowed, and indeed invited, into the clinical space between practitioner and psychotherapy service user. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Learning Outcomes 1. Understand the relevance of biological, sociological, cultural, historical, relational, and psychological factors with respect to adult psychosexual functioning 2. Appreciate and take responsibility for their personal and professional motivations for engaging in psychosexual therapeutic practice, holding a place of both cultural humility and invitational curiosity. 3. Value and centralise pleasure as an integral part of an individual’s sexuality and sexual expressions. 4. Evidence engagement in reflective practice which both forms and informs their ongoing learning and psychotherapeutic development from this module within themselves, and thus their clinical practice. 5. Discern more appropriate theoretical approaches or integration of approaches, including humanistic, cognitive- behavioural, systemic, and psychodynamic perspectives, to assist individuals and couples experiencing psychosexual concerns. 6. Recognise and respond constructively to the impact of cultural considerations such as kink, porn culture, compulsive sexual behaviour, asexuality, and hyper-sexuality on adults and their intimate relationships. 7. Undertake psychotherapeutic practice with individual clients and couples presenting psychosexual questions and concerns through the conscientious application of the PLISSIT model. 8. Appreciate potential for and complexity of recovering from sexual abuse/violence, or internalised socio-cultural oppressions/marginalisations in the context of adult intimate relationships. 9. Value and employ the 'Good Enough Sex Model' overtly and implicitly within clinical practice. 10. Be mindful of the importance of making referrals for medical assessments of sexual problems. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml |
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Indicative Content and Learning Activities
BiopsychosocialThe biopsychosocial approach considers the biological, cultural, historical, psychological and social contexts of sexual difficulties. It also holds questions around diversity and marginalisations for 'othered' people and experiences.Integrative PsychotherapyBy engaging in case conceptualisation, students will learn how to clinical dimensions of integrative psychotherapy with individuals and couples with psychosexual concerns.PsychosexualThe connections between, around and beyond mind/body in sexual functioning.Sexuality/Orientation/Individual and Collective KinksThe expression and ‘unshaming’ of each person's sexual identity and sexual preferences, individually and collectively, especially one’s own.Sexual AbuseSexual violation of a child or an adult by others and the potential impacts on adult intimate relations with self and others.HypersexualitySexually compulsive or ‘so-called addiction’ behaviour that influences individual behaviours and personal intimate relationships.Female Sexual DysfunctionsFemales experience a range of sexual dysfunctions and sexual difficulties including genito-pelvic pain (vaginismus/ dyspareunia/vulvodynia), preorgasmia, sexual aversion and compulsive sexual behaviours.Male Sexual DysfunctionsMen experience a range sexual dysfunctions and sexual difficulties including erectile problems, premature and delayed ejaculation, compulsive sexual behaviours and sexual aversion.Physiological Issues Contributing to Sexual ConcernsAppreciating impacts of diagnoses such as cancer or POI, experiences such as Menopause, disability, ageing, and physical illness on sexuality and sexual lives.Personal ReflectionDemonstrate a conscientious, in-depth and response-able reflexive awareness of both self, and self in relation to others in relation to psychosexual identity and psychotherapeutic practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Indicative Reading List
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Other Resources None | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Programme or List of Programmes
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| Date of Last Revision | 07-OCT-10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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