What is a sexologist?
Sexology is the scientific study of sex. Therefore, a sexologist is someone who has academic training and is knowledgeable about research in the field of human sexuality. Sexologists have studied what people do sexually and how they feel about it. Many sexologists come from a home discipline and that influences the perspective they bring to the study of sex. For example, a sexologist can study human sexuality from a historic, social, cultural, artistic, psychological, political, educational, or biological perspective. Sexologists are interested in how factors like gender, orientation, age and disability affect sexuality. Depending on one's interests, sexologists are researchers, authors, educators, counselors, therapists and body workers. Ideally all are academically and professionally trained, and are non-judgmental and sex positive.
What does the term "sex positive" mean?
Being "sex positive" means having an affirmative orientation towards sexuality, that supports pleasure and diversity. It believes that people deserve the full opportunity to engage in a broad range of consensual sexual behavior, as well as the right to not engage in sexual behavior at all. People who are sex positive honor each person's values and beliefs, and supports them in creating a optimally healthy sexual life. Being "sex positive" doesn't assume people should be more sexual, but supports people in having the sex life that is right for them.
What is a clinical sexologist?
A clinical sexologist helps people with sexual concerns in a clinic or counseling setting. They focus on brief therapy that provides permission, limited information and specific suggestions. They are sex positive, non-judgmental, and are focussed on pleasure rather than pathology. Clinical sexologists work with clients from a humanistic ethical perspective, seeing the client as wanting to grow as a sexual human being, or solve a sexual concern, rather than as "dysfunctional" or "broken." If a sexologist is board certified they have completed between 300-500 hours of training in the field of human sexuality. If they have an academic degree such as a Masters or a Doctorate, they have completed between 3000-5000 hours of training in human sexuality.