New Directions in Sex Therapy Innovations and Alternatives

Introduction: The State of the Art in Sex Therapy 

Peggy J. Kleinplatz, Ph.D.

Part 1: Critiques of Conventional Models of Sex Therapy  

1. A Critique of Heteronormativity in Sex Therapy  

Karen Blair, Ph.D.

2. First Do No Harm: A Critique of the Lack of Health Professional Training on Sexuality 

Elisabeth Gordon, M.D. and Pebble Kranz, M.D.

3. Ethics and Sex Therapy: Principles, Challenges, and Controversies 

Daniel N. Watter, Ed.D.

4. Capable of Risk: Sexual Risk-Taking and the Dignity of Marginalized Women 

Laina Y. Bay-Cheng, MSW., Ph.D. and Hannah G. Ginn, MSW 

5. Teaching Parents to Become Sex Educators: A New Role for Sex Therapists  

David S. Ribner, DSW and Hailey DiCaita, MA 

Part 2: New Alternatives/ Innovations in Sex Therapy 

6. Taking a Sex-Positive History 

Charles Moser, Ph.D., M.D.

7. Concepts and Practice of Intimacy-Based Sex Therapy 

Carol Rinkleib Ellison, Ph.D.

8. Approaching Your Highest Sexual Function in Relationship: A Reward of Age and Maturity 

Jeanne Shaw, Ph.D. – A Classic Chapter

9. Walking with a Couple into a Dominatrix’s Dungeon: Therapeutic Presence and the Self of the Therapist 

Wendy E. Miller, Ph.D.

10. The Good Enough Sex (GES) Model: A Couple Approach Focused on Sharing Pleasure  

Barry McCarthy, Ph.D., Lana Wald Ross, Ph.D. and Michael Metz, Ph.D.

11. Narrative Relational Sex Therapy: Applying an Intersectional Lens  

Suzanne Iasenza, Ph.D. and Ric Mathews, MSEd 

12. Sex Therapy with Survivors of Sexual Abuse  

Wendy Maltz, M.S.W.

13. Pleasures and Pressures of Polyamory: A Psychodynamic Perspective 

Magdalena J. Fosse, Ph.D. 

14. Engaged and Alive: Treating Sexual Concerns through Modern Group Analysis  

Dan Rosen, MSW 

15. Keys to the Sexual Mysteries: An Integrative Model for Exploring Clients’ Stories 

Gina Ogden, Ph.D. – A Classic Chapter

16. An EFIT Approach to Sexuality and Physical Disability: Enlivening Eros with the Uniquely-Bodied  

Mike Moran, MSW 

17. Promoting Optimal Sexual Experiences in Group Therapy: An Alternative to “Stopping Too Soon and Settling for Too Little” 

Peggy J. Kleinplatz, Ph.D., Maxime Charest, M.A., Nicolas Paradis, M.ED., Lianne A. Rosen, Ph.D. Shannon Lawless, M.Sc. and Jessica Valade, B.A. 

Biography

Peggy J. Kleinplatz, Ph.D. is Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Please see www.optimalsexualexperiences.com. She is a Certified Sex Therapist and Educator.  Her research focuses on optimizing sexual experience, with a particular interest in sexual health in older adults, people with disabilities and chronic illness and other marginalized populations.  Kleinplatz has edited or authored six books including New Directions in Sex Therapy: Innovations and Alternatives, winner of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counsellors and Therapists (AASECT) 2013 Book Award and with A. Dana Menard, Ph.D.  Magnificent Sex: Lessons from Extraordinary Lovers, winner of the 2021 Society for Sex Therapy and Research Consumer Book Award. In 2015, Kleinplatz received the AASECT Professional Standard of Excellence Award. In 2021, Kleinplatz received the Distinguished Sexual and Gender Health Revolutionary Award from the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health of the Medical School, University of Minnesota. In 2021, she became a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. Her research, writing, teaching and clinical work have been intended to challenge, expand and diversify the field of sex therapy.

'An essential up-to-date text for the novice or advanced sex therapist to appreciate innovative clinical modalities and techniques for diverse populations. Brilliant.'

Eli Coleman, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN

'This book remains essential reading over 20 years after the publication of its first edition. Peggy Kleinplatz brings together, once more, a range of insightful and thoughtful contributors to explore both critiques of conventional models in the field of sex therapy and alternative approaches. People new to the field, or in adjacent fields, will find both some foundational concepts as well as some innovative ones in this classic textbook.'

Alex Iantaffi, Ph.D., MS, SEP, CST, CST-S, LMFT, award-winning author and sex therapist

'Dr. Kleinplatz’s wisdom and years of experience coalesce in this updated and enriching resource which will elevate and enhance our field in a significant way. This is a must-read for anyone who is a provider of sex therapy and sexuality education, especially in clinical settings.'

Sara Nasserzadeh, Ph.D., author of Love by Design: 6 Ingredients to Build a Lifetime of Love

'Peggy Kleinplatz, Ph.D. has once again edited a volume that demands reading, by drawing attention to critical and sometimes overlooked and under explored areas of sex therapy and research. Readers will be exposed to the latest and most inclusive thinking on sex education, ethics, theory and our ever expanding roles in society. A must read!'

Michael A. Perelman, Ph.D., Director of Human Sexuality Program at Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, NY; Founder & Chairman of MAP Education & Research Foundation, NY, NY

'Peggy Kleinplatz has curated guidance from the leading voices in 21st century sexology to create a resource that is as impressive in scope as it is in sensitivity. New Directions in Sex Therapy lays the foundation for ethical, inclusive, and affirming sexual health practice. This book belongs on the desk of every mental and medical health provider who cares about the holistic well-being of those they serve.'

Stefani Goerlich, Ph.D., LMSW, author of The Leather Couch: Clinical Practice with Kinky Clients and With Sprinkles On Top: Everything Vanilla People and Their Kinky Partners Need To Know to Communicate, Explore and Connect

'In many ways sex therapy - and the culture around it - have become more narrow, limited and restrictive in recent years rather than less so. New Directions in Sex Therapy provides a much needed challenge - and counterbalance - to this. Peggy Kleinplatz has brought together a terrific range of authors to question the underlying assumptions of the discipline, and to point towards important and refreshing alternatives. The book outlines a range of ways of working with diverse clients to expand their sexual possibilities and open up their potentials beyond normative scripts and mediocre sex. A must read for all sex and relationships practitioners.'

Meg-John Barker, Ph.D., author of Sexuality: A Graphic Guide and How To Understand Your Sexuality

'For those seeking to expand their sex therapy toolkit, this book is an essential addition. Each chapter offers invaluable therapeutic insights, interwoven with practical applications and theoretical depth. For those seeking guidance from leading experts who challenge conventional frameworks and push toward deeper, more contemplative therapeutic excellence, New Directions in Sex Therapy is a must-read. Don’t just walk—run to your nearest bookstore.'

Ruth Koelling, LMSW, CST, Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy