What is clinical sexology?

Simply put, clinical sexology is the diagnosis and treatment of sexual concerns and dysfunctions. It is a highly trained discipline that combines the resources of

  • physiology
  • psychology
  • religion
  • anthropology
  • philosophy
  • biology
  • zoology
  • medicine, and
  • sociology

with clinical sexology in providing sex therapy and counselling to persons with sexual problems.

Sexology, as a science, incorporates into its research and treatment of sexual concerns and dysfunctions the findings of psychology, sociology, philosophy, biology, zoology, anthropology, history, physiology, religion and medicine. Clinical sexology is not the same as "sex therapy", which bases its approach on the psychological model of talk therapy.

Clinical sexology has its roots in mid-19th Century England and Germany. Havelock Ellis (1859-1939), an English medical doctor, surgeon and sexologist, was one of the first researchers to challenge the sexual repression of the Victorian Age (generally considered to span the time of Queen Victoria's reign, 1819-1901) along with its taboo against masturbation (now considered by sex health experts to be a normal sexual behaviour, essential for healthy sexual development).

The science of sexology is now a well established and widely taught discipline in many of the world's leading universities. If you are interested in discovering just how widespread sexological research is, please visit the Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology Website. You will find an exhaustive resource for learning about sexology's history and scientific research, and more links to the growing worldwide list of universities and institutes studying clinical sexology.

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