Sexual Health in Recovery: A Professional Counselor's Manual

Based on a curriculum that was successfully implemented and evaluated at Stepping Stone, a drug and alcohol treatment program in San Diego, Sexual Health in Recovery offers counselors a chance to understand and integrate basic sexual health principles into their work. Addiction treatment professionals and their clients will then be able to comfortably and safely address sexual issues that may impede recovery-and thus have a greater chance at successful treatment.

• Assessing a client's sex/drug-linked relapse risk
• Improving counselor confidence in talking about sexual issues
• Dealing with out-of-control sexual behavior
• Understanding how a client's sexual attitudes and values may help or impede recovery
• Discussing a client's sexual past when it impacts recovery
• Encouraging client's sexual health while in recovery
• Helping clients set expectations for sexual relationships while in recovery
• Overcoming counselor ambivalence about addressing sexual issues in treatment

Douglas Braun-Harvey, LMFT, CGP, CST, is a sexual health author, trainer, and psychotherapist who bridges sexual and mental health and facilitates organizational change. In 2013, Doug Braun-Harvey cofounded The Harvey Institute, an international education, training, consulting, and supervision service for improving health care through integration of sexual health. He teaches and trains nationally and internationally, linking sexual health principles with drug and alcohol treatment, group psychotherapy, HIV prevention and treatment, and child maltreatment. Since 1993, he has been developing and implementing a sexual health-based treatment approach for men with out of control sexual behavior (OCSB). Previous publications includeSexual Health in Recovery: Professional Counselor's Manual (2011) and Sexual Health in Drug and Alcohol Treatment: Group Facilitator's Manual (2009). He has earned several distinctions, including the 2013 Carne's Award from the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health, a 2011 Sexual Intelligence Award, the 2011 President's Award from the National Association of Lesbian and Gay Addiction Professionals, and the 2011 Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality Western Region Public Service Award for promoting sexual health awareness and providing the intellectual framework for integrating sexology and chemical dependency. Mr. Braun-Harvey is a licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT), certified group psychotherapist (CGP), and certified sex therapist (AASECT Certified). He is on the web at www.DBHnow.com and in private practice in San Diego, California.