Religious Therapists

Non-religious Therapists

Religious therapists view knowledge of sex therapy as conflicting with cultural values associated with modesty and a lack of knowledge of sex issues, which may result in an unwanted change experience.

Non-religious therapists view knowledge about sex therapy as able to assist changing personal attitudes toward sexuality.

Evidence: “I really considered it as very embarrassing, very uncomfortable issues, and I felt both the gap and the conflict of yes and no talk, Yes allowed or forbidden?”

Evidence: “…but it was interesting, the material was clear, clear, structured…and I decided it could expand my education and contribute to me. So, I joined. I love to learn, love to enrich myself. That it is okay to talk, that it is okay to have things and that I will know a little more how to be attentive to them without panicking, without shutting down…so that’s something that opened up in me.”

For religious therapists, the information about sex therapy should be accessible and culturally sensitive.

Non-religious therapists view knowledge as a means to raise a sense of comfort and self-efficacy among sex therapists.

Evidence: “I think this is very true and it is a very significant added value that you say the issue should be made accessible to the culture. Maybe there was something insensitive to culture and then it created and maybe had an impact on the group. I had a very hard time, I did not feel I could speak freely or ask freely…”

Evidence: “…it gives me confidence that I have more knowledge…”

“…at the level of knowledge I received the knowledge, at the level of accessibility I also received the accessibility to the subject. I got a big gift…”

Both the religious and the non-religious groups perceived the opportunity for discourse in the sex therapy Supervision Intervention Program as a factor that increases their sense of self-efficacy as sex therapists.

Evidence:

“…It gives me confidence that I have more knowledge, that I have approached this topic, that I have some body of knowledge, this booklet, that I can look at to get tools and that I know where to refer.”

“… If in the past I would have said ‘not appropriate at the intake meeting…’ then it contributed to me. Although I was very, very embarrassed and very hesitant and insecure, but it…it gave a lot.”

“I gained a lot on a personal level as well…and it really opened my mind and I think I won’t be so scared today if there are things in the therapy room, I won’t be scared, it’s more friendly for me…I was very, very comfortable, my eyes were opened a little to the world, to things I don’t know, don’t know… Something opened a little to me.”