Kink-Affirming Practice: Culturally Competent Therapy from the Leather Chair

Kink-Affirming Practice is an essential guide on how clinicians can ethically and effectively  integrate elements of their client’s BSDM identities and practices into  their treatment planning, creative interventions, and client self-care. 

Embracing  both an anthropological understanding of this diverse yet still  marginalized community, as well as a sex-positive approach to mental  health, Stefani Goerlich recognizes the ways in which specific power  exchange dynamics can evoke positive behavioral changes in clients, and  guides the reader in how to integrate these concepts into their clinical  work. Chapters discuss the foundations of BDSM, what is meant by  kink-affirming practice, the purpose of claiming power and ceding  control, integrating and reclaiming identities, dominant/submissive  personas, and the benefits of caregiving kink, such as pet play. It  practically discusses how to conduct a kink-affirming risk assessment,  as well as exploring topics like ethical and health boundary setting,  how to gain informed consent, and the unique issues that arise when  clinicians catch themselves romancing the kink.

This  book is invaluable reading for professionals working with clients who  engage in BDSM activities, such as marriage and family therapists, sex  therapists, clinical social workers, and counselors. It may also be  useful reading for students on both undergraduate and graduate level  human sexuality and sexuality courses.