Sexual History Reaction Paper

Sexual History Intake Reaction Paper

Sex is a taboo topic of conversation for the church; in some respect, it could be considered taboo in secular society as well. As counselors, we will encounter clients who are struggling with sexual problems. Therefore it is imperative that we have a healthy understanding of sexuality so we are able to guide our clients to the same understanding. To help counseling students develop a healthy biblical view of sexuality, Liberty University offers an intensive course on Human Sexuality. I was a student in this course recently and was challenged to develop a better understanding of sexuality and myself.

One of the course assignments was to conduct a pseudo sexual history intake. We were teamed in pairs and asked to take turns role-playing as the counselor and the client. As the client, we were asked to blend elements of our own story with false elements; in doing so we would create a pseudo sexual history. This assignment was the most uncomfortable task I was given in the course. I was assigned to work with a female student who was older than my mother. This was extremely awkward and created a lot anxiety. Having to interview someone much older than me about sex was very difficult. As child and teenager I was taught to “respect your elders.” Conversations about sex were considered inappropriate and were highly suppressed in my family. Asking questions like, “how often do you masturbate; what do you enjoy sexually; and how many sexual partners have you had,” to my older client was very complicated. Despite the awkwardness of asking such intrusive questions, I kept my cool and relaxed so the client would also feel comfortable sharing.

While interviewing, I found it very hard to connect with the client’s story. This was due to me rushing through my questions to get answers. I struggled to practice some of the most basic counseling skills, like active listening, reflecting, and summarizing. I will need to work...