Principles and Practice of Sex Therapy
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This research reviews the book Principles and Practice of Sex Therapy: Update for the 1990s. The book presents a series of 14 readings on current research findings and theory concerning the practice of sex therapy. Subject topics are divided into six overall categories. These categories are: (1) how AIDS has changed the perspectives of sex therapy; (2) dysfunctions of sexual desire such as hyperactive desire or sexual aversion; (3) female sexual disorders (e.g. dyspareunia or vaginismus); (4) male sexual disorders such as early or retarded ejaculation; (5) sexual issues with special populations such as lesbians, bisexuals, the sexually abused and older people; and (6) how to assess and treat atypical or dysfunctional sexual behavior. Each category contains one to four articles, with each article being written by separate authors. For example, under the category of male sexual disorders, there are four separate articles discussing the topics of: cognitive-behavioral strategies used in the treatment of early ejaculation; the nature of retarded ejaculation and its treatment; erectile dysfunction; and psychogenic impotence. Categories vary in terms of the amount of material covered; however, each article runs about 30 to 45 pages. The book, as a whole, has both strengths and weaknesses. One strength of the book is that it is extremely comprehensive, covering a wide range of material and practices related to sexual therapy. For example, in the reading, "Sex Therapy with
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t experts each write articles focusing on their particular area of the field of sex therapy. However, each expert has a different writing style which means that the quality of the writing is uneven.
The unevenness of the writing can be best seen through examples. Under the section on male sexual disorders, there are four articles, each written by different authors. Two of these articles are: (1) "Cognitive-Behavioral Strategies and Techniques in the Treatment of Early Ejaculation," by Barry W. McCarthy; and (2) "Retarded-Ejaculation: A Much Misunderstood Syndrome," by Bernard Apfelbaum.
McCarthy's style of writing is smooth, conceptual yet not overly abstract or technical. It reads easily and is easily understood. This can be seen in the following quote:
Thee cognitive-behavioral strategy is to emphasize learning new attitudes and skills that not only address the ejaculatory control issue but generalize to the entire sexual relationship. A prime cognition is focusing on increasing the man's comfort and please and deemphasizing the concept of performing for the woman. (p. 148)
On the other hand, Apfelbaum's style of writing is extremely formal and extremely technical. The flow, as a result, seems stilted and difficult t
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1395
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
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