Psychology/Sexuality Instructional Course:
Tracks
Risso 6
| Thursday, November 7, 2019 |
| 2:40 PM - 4:10 PM |
| Risso 6 |
Overview
The Biopsychosocial Approach to Sexual Rehabilitation for the Health Care Professional
Speaker
Dr Stanley Ducharme
Psychologist
Boston University Medical Center
The Biopsychosocial Approach to Sexual Rehabilitation for the Health Care Professional
Abstract
The Biopsychosocial Approach to Sexual Rehabilitation for the Health Care Professional
Stanley Ducharme, Ph.D.
Stacy Elliott, MD
The importance of sexual health as an integrated part of spinal cord injury rehabilitation has been well documented over the last two decades. Multiple studies have demonstrated that this aspect of rehabilitation is one of the greatest concerns for people with spinal cord injury but yet remains one of the most neglected areas. Often, health care providers identify themselves as having little knowledge of the topic, are embarrassed or feel that it is the responsibility of the person with the disability to raise the topic. Yet, time and time again people with spinal cord injury have expressed their desire and need for their health providers to take the initiative in raising the topic. This insures the patient that sexuality, pleasure and reproduction are legitimate concerns in rehabilitation and appropriate areas for questions, education and counseling.
Sexuality is a multidimensional concept that encompasses cultural, social, psychological, physical and relational qualities. It evolves and changes through the developmental life of the individual and is not constricted by disability, gender, age, sexual orientation or sexual expression. Like all activities of daily living, it is a natural expression of who we are and how we relate to ourselves and to other people. Given the fluidity and complexity of the issue, no single discipline can manage the entirety and totality of an individual’s sexual questions, needs and inquiries. We are each constrained by our individual experiences, values and the confines of our chosen professional disciplines. Thus, addressing sexual health in spinal cord injury rehabilitation requires a multi-disciplinary approach in which discipline specific goals are identified and addressed within the context of team case conferences and multi-disciplinary rounds. To meet the needs of the patient in these areas, we must all work in unison with one another.
This instructional course is based on the concept that all members of the rehabilitation team have a role in assisting the person with a spinal cord injury, and their partner, in adjusting to the sexual changes after such an injury. Using a Sexual Rehabilitation Framework (SRF), specific issues of the person with a spinal cord injury can be addressed by the most appropriate team member who has expertise in this area. In addition to introducing the Sexual Rehabilitation Framework, this course will also explore the interface of culture and sexuality as well as the particular details of sexual education and counseling. In this regard, questions such as when, what and how specific sexual and fertility related topics should be introduced to the patient and partner will be discussed.
40 Minutes, Ducharme- Cultural Issues and Practical Strategies to Sexuality Counseling and Education
40 Minutes, Elliott-Multidisciplinary Approach to Sexual Education
Stanley Ducharme, Ph.D.
Stacy Elliott, MD
The importance of sexual health as an integrated part of spinal cord injury rehabilitation has been well documented over the last two decades. Multiple studies have demonstrated that this aspect of rehabilitation is one of the greatest concerns for people with spinal cord injury but yet remains one of the most neglected areas. Often, health care providers identify themselves as having little knowledge of the topic, are embarrassed or feel that it is the responsibility of the person with the disability to raise the topic. Yet, time and time again people with spinal cord injury have expressed their desire and need for their health providers to take the initiative in raising the topic. This insures the patient that sexuality, pleasure and reproduction are legitimate concerns in rehabilitation and appropriate areas for questions, education and counseling.
Sexuality is a multidimensional concept that encompasses cultural, social, psychological, physical and relational qualities. It evolves and changes through the developmental life of the individual and is not constricted by disability, gender, age, sexual orientation or sexual expression. Like all activities of daily living, it is a natural expression of who we are and how we relate to ourselves and to other people. Given the fluidity and complexity of the issue, no single discipline can manage the entirety and totality of an individual’s sexual questions, needs and inquiries. We are each constrained by our individual experiences, values and the confines of our chosen professional disciplines. Thus, addressing sexual health in spinal cord injury rehabilitation requires a multi-disciplinary approach in which discipline specific goals are identified and addressed within the context of team case conferences and multi-disciplinary rounds. To meet the needs of the patient in these areas, we must all work in unison with one another.
This instructional course is based on the concept that all members of the rehabilitation team have a role in assisting the person with a spinal cord injury, and their partner, in adjusting to the sexual changes after such an injury. Using a Sexual Rehabilitation Framework (SRF), specific issues of the person with a spinal cord injury can be addressed by the most appropriate team member who has expertise in this area. In addition to introducing the Sexual Rehabilitation Framework, this course will also explore the interface of culture and sexuality as well as the particular details of sexual education and counseling. In this regard, questions such as when, what and how specific sexual and fertility related topics should be introduced to the patient and partner will be discussed.
40 Minutes, Ducharme- Cultural Issues and Practical Strategies to Sexuality Counseling and Education
40 Minutes, Elliott-Multidisciplinary Approach to Sexual Education
Biography
Stanley Ducharme, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and member of the medical staff at Boston Medical Center. In addition, he is a Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and Professor of Urology at Boston University School of Medicine. He is a diplomat in sex therapy and provides education internationally to hospitals and rehabilitation programs on matters related to the psychological aspects of disability and sexual functioning after SCI.
He is twice past president of the American Association of Spinal Cord Injury Psychologists and Social Workers and is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Education Foundation of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. For six years, he also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, (CARF). Dr. Ducharme is a former member of the Education Committee of ISCoS.
