Held back by limited experience, training, and therapeutic confidence: self-perceptions of Czech mental health professionals about addressing paraphilic-related concerns

Abstract

A body of literature shows that a considerable proportion of mental health and social work professionals who are approached by help-seeking people with paraphilic interests find themselves unprepared to respond to these individuals adequately. In the Czech Republic, the professionals’ self-perceptions about addressing various paraphilic-related themes and concerns remain largely unexplored. The objective of the present study was to fill this knowledge gap by conducting an anonymous online survey among mental health and social work practitioners expected to have professional experience with help-seeking people presenting with paraphilic interests and related themes. The focus of the study was on two broad areas of paraphilic interest: attraction to minors and sexual non-consent and violence against adults. The survey results in 61 practitioners suggested limited self-perceived capacity to address paraphilic-related interests and concerns, which involved navigating relationships with significant others, mitigating anxiety and depression, and enhancing intimate functioning, rather than handling paraphilic interests per se. Insufficient paraphilic-related professional experience and training were named among the major self-perceived obstacles to efficient help provision. Through identification of current gaps in professionals’ engagement with this stigmatized, hard-to-reach, at-risk population we hope to foster the development of competent, client-oriented, and compassionate counselling and treatment services in the Czech Republic.