Intimate Conversations and Frank Discussions: The Importance of Pleasure to Wellness and Sex to Ethical Professional Practice
Presenter: Heather Sloane, MSW, LISW
Date: March 30, 2013
Time: Registration 7:45 – 8:15 a.m. Seminar 8:15 – 12:00 p.m.
Registration form
Location: The University of Toledo - Health and Human Services Building – HH 1711 – Multipurpose Room
Map
Cost: $50.00 CEUs: 3.5
Course Description:
Intimate conversations about pleasure and frank discussions about sex are often difficult for healthcare professionals because of the lack of sex education within healthcare professional curriculum. However, patient demand for help on topics of sex and intimacy have increased in part due to cultural changes and wildly advertised medications available for sexual dysfunction. This workshop will increase skill and knowledge on the part of the healthcare professional by teaching them to understand sex as a multidimensional concept that involves psychological, social, cultural and spiritual dimensions. The presenter will introduce pleasure and the importance of pleasure to wellness as an entry into intimate and frank discussions between the healthcare professional and the patient. By increasing comfort with conversations about sex this workshop hopes to encourage an environment where sexual health is a permissible topic for the patient. The World Health Organization recognizes that sexual health is an integral part of overall health and therefore conversations about sex are an important part of ethical healthcare practice.
About your Presenter:
Heather Sloane is a Lecturer at the University of Toledo, where she concentrates on teaching graduate field related classes. Heather is a part-time PhD student in American Cultural Studies at Bowling Green State University where she studies the culture of medical education. Prior to coming to the University of Toledo, Heather worked as a social worker in various healthcare settings, most currently as a perinatal social worker. She has written and given talks on issues relating to ethics and healthcare and was actively involved in bedside bioethics.
This course is designed for Social Workers, Counselors, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists, Healthcare and Mental Health Care Professionals.
Workshop Objectives:
Participants will reflect on what influences their personal understanding of pleasure and sexuality, and how personal understanding can hinder an environment where patients feel sexuality is a permissible subject to talk about. This workshop plans to increase participants’ knowledge, skills and comfort with conversations and discussions involving pleasure and sexuality.
Participants will learn about sexuality as multidimensional including psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual through reflection, video clips, case studies, and group discussion.
Participants will learn theory and models that discuss the importance of pleasure to wellness, and participate in exercises to help build skills and comfort in creating an environment where pleasure and sex are permissible topic for patients.
Participants will work in interdisciplinary groups to see the value in collaboration, because patients do not identify just one discipline as appropriate to discuss pleasure and sexuality, as well as relationship concerns. All healthcare professionals share in the ethical responsibility to incorporate issues of pleasure and sexuality into patient care plans.
Program Course Schedule:
7:45 – 8:15 - Registration
8:15 – 9:00
Old perspectives on teaching medical professionals about sex (biology/pathology)
9:00 – 10:00
New perspectives on teaching about sex
Pleasure and wellness
Sex as multidimensional concept
Group activity analyzing current popular sex manuals using new models
10 – 10:15
Break
10:15 – 11:15 - Skills for New Perspectives
Creating comfort surrounding sex and pleasure is important to wellness for the healthcare professional and client in medical settings
Ethics of including sex and pleasure to everyday healthcare practice
11:15 – 11:45
Group activity using case studies to practice conversations about pleasure and sex
11:45- 12:00
Closing and questions
This course meets the requirements of the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board for 3.5 CEUs for Counselors and Social Workers.
