Influence of a Group Supervision Program in Sex Therapy on Therapists’ Self-Efficacy and Attitudes toward Sexuality

Abstract

The present article investigated how psychotherapists’ sense of self-efficacy and their attitudes toward their clients’ sexuality change after a short-term supervision program. The study examined participants’ expectations from the short-term supervision program and their attitudes after participation in the program. It was found that the intervention program influenced the therapists’ self-efficacy and attitudes toward sex therapy. Religious and non-religious psychotherapists have different needs and emphasis is placed on the differences in the attitudes expressed by religious and non-religious therapists. Both groups of psychotherapists encounter issues considered to be taboo by society. However, they react differently to these issues. Supervision programs must therefore be adapted to the population of psychotherapists participating in the short-term supervision program. The present article suggests that the solution to psychotherapists’ unwillingness to talk about sexuality is found in group sessions managed by supervisors. It is concluded that psychotherapists’ interactions with group members and the supervisor provide them with opportunities to learn about their attitude toward their patients’ sexuality as well as their own, and promotes their openness to this controversial subject in the process.