Does your post contribute to continuing the discussion? Are your ideas supported with citations from the learning resources and other scholarly sources?

/in /by

I NEED THIS TODAY
Please no plagiarism and make sure you are able to access all resources on your own before you bid. Main references come from Murray, C., Pope, A., & Willis, B. (2017) and/or American Psychological Association (2014). You need to have scholarly support for any claim of fact or recommendation regarding treatment. Please respond to all 3 of my classmates with references separately. You need to have scholarly support for any claim of fact or recommendation like peer-reviewed, professional scholarly journals. I need this completed by 05/09/2020 at 8pm.
Expectation:
Responses to peers. Note that this is measured by both the quantity and quality of your posts. Does your post contribute to continuing the discussion? Are your ideas supported with citations from the learning resources and other scholarly sources? Note, that although it is often helpful and important to provide one or two sentence responses thanking somebody or supporting them or commiserating with them, those types of responses do not always further the discussion as much as they check in with the author. Such responses are appropriate and encouraged; however, they should be considered supplemental to more substantive responses, not sufficient by themselves.
Read a your colleagues’ postings. Respond to your colleagues’ postings.
Respond in one or more of the following ways:
· Ask a probing question.
· Share an insight gained from having read your colleague’s posting.
· Offer and support an opinion.
· Validate an idea with your own experience.
· Make a suggestion.
· Expand on your colleague’s posting.
1. Classmate (C. Rod)
Quote Applied to Human Sexuality
“All happy families are alike, every unhappy family is unhappy in its way.” Whoa, that is quite a statement, insightful, and makes you ponder. I believe this quote can be related to sexuality. People compare themselves to one another, their bodies, accomplishments, grades, and even their sex life. Girlfriends and Bros have their conversations, ” I wish my girl did that” or ” Wow, your man is so romantic, I never get that treatment.” My administrative supervisor shared with us one day that the entire 42 years of marriage, she never experienced an orgasm. He did what he had to do, rolled over and went to sleep. She explained that back then (she is 65), that is the way it was. My supervisor never experienced an orgasm from her husband, which caused her to be dissatisfied with her sex life. However, another female could have different reasons for not being satisfied with hers.
Path to Positive Sexuality
Sexuality is important to our lives, it is one of the ways we experience physical pleasure but also good for our overall health and wellbeing (Murray, Pope & Willis, 2017). People will have different perspectives on what is satisfying; that is why there are fetishes and different sexual positions. I am sure some bitter housewives or husbands sit at home with a curiosity of unknown pleasure that they may have never experienced regardless if because of their limitations and fears or culture/religion. Unfortunately, people are more open to discuss their sexual problems than sexual pleasure and enjoyment (Murray, Pope & Willis, 2017). I do not believe there is one specific path to positive sexuality. We all have different backgrounds, journeys to live. Many factors will contribute to whether this journey even begins. For instance, women in the U.S. will have more opportunity for exploration versus in the Middle East.
What I have Learned & Professional Development
I have loved this course, as I have previously stated I am interested in possibly gaining sex certification after becoming an LMFT. The only exposure or idea that has been provided to me for sex therapy is what I’ve seen on TV. This course has taught me that sex therapy is not just suggesting shaking it up and resolving conflict from the broken trust from affairs, but a whole other counseling world. Lack of training causes counselors not to be able to effectively help their clients with their sexual concerns. The AASECT requires 90 clock hours of human sexuality training. To further my competence in human sexuality and to help my clients, I will take any workshops that are provided. In areas such as intimacy skills and diversities in sexual expression but not limited to, polyamory, swinging, BDSM, and tantra (AASECT, 2008).
References
American Association of Sexuality  Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (2013). AASECT Requirements for Sex Therapists Retrieved from:  https://www.aasect.org/aasect-requirements-sex-therapist-certification
Murray, C., Pope, A., & Willis, B. (2017). Sexuality counseling: Theory, research, and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
2. Classmate (C. Pie)
“All happy families are alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” This is a loaded quote! It supports the notion that no two people, and therefore no two families, are the same. I do believe this quote can be applied to sexuality. Media and social culture, pornography, etc. can often times paint certain pictures of what sex and sexuality “should” look like. On the other hand, deep seeded family values, misguided interpretations of religion, etc. can also paint pictures of what sex and sexuality “should” look like too. The often polarizing viewpoints can leave people baffled, unhappy, or somehow dissatisfied with how they view themselves or their partner(s) sexually. Therefore, this quote challenges us on what we often think makes us happy or unhappy. What is satisfying or “right” for some may not be so for others.
Positive Sexuality
Positive sexuality and healthy sexual functioning mean that I am able and comfortable enough to be in frequent discussion with my husband about our sexual desires, concerns, and activities without feeling selfish or crude. Positive sexuality means I am able to own who I am and likewise respect others for who they are, recognizing that sexuality does play into personal identity. I am able to recognize the need for sexual encounters and that it is totally ok to be and feel “sexy.” Engaging in sexual activity is the practice of giving and receiving. It is a picture of gratitude and selflessness as well. Sex is and will always be a major influence in life because it is so much more than physical pleasure. Their are also physical and mental health benefits to sex (Murray, Pope, and Willis, 2017). Not only is it important to discuss sexual issues (i.e. in terms of a therapeutic setting) but it is also beneficial to discuss what brings satisfaction too. There is no set path to navigating sex and sexuality across individuals because each person is vastly different from the next. That is a part of what makes the journey of life exciting!
What I have Learned and PD
This course has challenged me and encouraged me to strongly consider any part of personal beliefs and values that may likely become a source of bias in my future therapeutic relationships. I enjoyed learning about the different medical issues that are connected to sexual disorders and dysfunctions. I have known for some time that sex is about more than just physical pleasure, but through this course, I have learned that sex and sexuality really do strongly impact people on a daily basis. It is a new and exciting field for me to explore, and I am open to taking on more PD on the topic of Human Sexuality in the future.
References:
Murray, C., Pope, A., & Willis, B. (2017). Sexuality counseling: Theory, research, and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
3. Classmate (A. Lac)
Discussion 2: Positive Sexuality & Professional Development
During this course, I have learned many insightful things about human sexuality. One surprising notion is how comfortable or willing most people have become using talk therapy or sex counseling to learn or tackle sex-related concerns and issues. There is a variety of methods and strategies used in the counseling field to help guide a client in discovering information about their sexuality (Murray, Pope & Willis, 2017). Not only can these methods and processes help clients restore the enjoyment of physical intimacy, but it can also help them enhance their confidence with their own sexuality.
Positive Sexuality
Positive sexuality begins with an individual understanding that sex and sexuality is a healthy and natural aspect of life. The term helps shine a light on how diverse human sexuality and behavior is while understanding ways to have healthy sexuality (Murray, Pope & Willis, 2017). This will include understanding positive problem solving, living and positive methods that resolve the challenges and issues one faces in their everyday lives.
Healthy Sexual Functioning
Healthy sexual functioning is having the ability to experience sexual satisfaction and pleasure when you desire (Murray, Pope & Willis, 2017). This sexual pleasure can be experienced in many ways with a wide range of possibilities. It is important to remember that each individual body responds differently to sexual functioning or excitement.
Social Attitudes
Many studies have been conducted to show how social, cultural, and religious factors influence sexual development, sexual relationships, and sexual function. Putting a continuous focus on culture is necessary for understanding the evolving factors. Many cultures remain silenced or conservative on issues related to sexuality and positive sexual functioning. This type of silence within certain cultures makes it difficult to find support for anxiety and neurotic disorders, contraception, and abortion services (Ratts, Singh, Nassar-McMillan, Butler & McCullough, 2016).
Controversies
Controversies and challenges that may arise when treating a client’s sexual well-being include an individual’s choice or empowerment, types of clinical services available, education, discrimination, and social stigmas (Ratts, Singh, Nassar-McMillan, Butler & McCullough, 2016).
Summary
In summary, what I take away from this course is understanding that we live in a sexualized culture and there is still a need to educate our clients one having healthy or positive sexuality and a scientific and accurate way (Murray, Pope & Willis, 2017). My plan in the future is to spend more time locating extra training to increase my sexual knowledge and evaluate my own values attitudes and beliefs.
References
Murray, C., Pope, A., & Willis, B. (2017). Sexuality counseling: Theory, research, and practice.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Ratts, M. J., Singh, A. A., Nassar-McMillan, S., Butler, S. K., & McCullough, J. R. (2016).
Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies: Guidelines for the Counseling
Profession. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 44(1), 28–48.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Required Resources
Readings
· Course Text: Murray, C., Pope, A., & Willis, B. (2017). Sexuality counseling: Theory, research, and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
· Chapter 10, “Positive Sexuality: A New Paradigm for Sexuality Counseling”
· Article: Beagan, B. L., & Hattie, B. (2015). Religion, spirituality, and LGBTQ identity integration. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 9(2), 92–117. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
· Article: Domínguez, D. G., Bobele, M., Coppock, J., & Peña, E. (2015). LGBTQ relationally based positive psychology: An inclusive and systemic framework. Psychological Services, 12(2), 177–185. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
· Article: Etengoff, C., & Daiute, C. (2015). Clinicians’ Perspective of the Relational Processes for Family and Individual Development During the Mediation of Religious and Sexual Identity Disclosure. Journal of Homosexuality, 62(3), 394–426. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
· Article: Ratts, M. J., Singh, A. A., Nassar-McMillan, S., Butler, S. K., & McCullough, J. R. (2016). Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies: Guidelines for the Counseling Profession. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 44(1), 28–48. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
· Article: Ridley, J. (2009). What Every Sex Therapist Needs To Know. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 20(2/3), 95–111. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.