Translating the Out of Control Sexual Behavior Treatment Model for Work with Cisgender Women

Abstract

Currently, there is no agreement within the mental health field on the etiology, diagnosis, or treatment of problematic sexual behavior (PSB) for men or women. The Out of Control Sexual Behavior (OCSB) clinical framework is a flexible and integrative client- centered approach that differs from the more established PSB modalities, which have utilized overly broad sexual symptom assessments and pathologized normal variations in human sexuality. Still, the OCSB framework was created for the treatment of men, and not every aspect of its approach should look the same when used to treat women. In fact, gender-informed clinical assessment and treatment options have historically been limited for women presenting with consensual sexual urges, thoughts, or behaviors that feel out of control for them. This paper’s intention is twofold: 1) to explore the paucity of both historical and current human sexuality research on women’s sexual health and its impact on the clinical treatment of women’s PSB in general and OCSB specifically; and 2) to help broaden current PSB professional dialogue through defining the OCSB framework, translating it for women, and integrating women’s clinical presentations and sexual experiences into the conversation.