18 - Sex therapy, kink and paraphilias

Psych Attack

In this episode, I catch up with Dr Sarah Ashton to hear about her work in the area of sexual health and intimacy. In particular, we focus on kink and paraphilias, where they come from, as well how to treat a paraphilic disorder and work with clients experiencing shame.

Dr Sarah Ashton is a registered psychologist, Board Approved Supervisor, training author, and the Director and Founder of SHIPS.

Sexual Health and Intimacy Psychological Services (SHIPS) is a progressive psychology organisation in Melbourne, Australia. They provide sex, intimacy and mental health treatment & training.

You can follow SHIPS’ work on LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, and their blog.

Sensitive content warning
The episode focuses predominantly on the importance of understanding the whole person, including their erotic experiences and desires. We talk about a wide range of erotic experiences and the conversation covers experiences that are fulfilling and pleasurable, as well as some examples of disorders where harm is done. This episode refers to sexual assault, pedophilia and exhibitionism. Specific case examples and lived experience are not discussed. Please take care while listening and if you are feeling discomfort and think you would benefit from some support, please reach out to your GP or contact a service like Lifeline.

Cite this episode
MacDonald, J. B. & Ashton, S. (2024, June 5). Sex therapy, kink and paraphilias (No. 18) [Audio podcast episode]. In Psych Attack. www.psychattack.com

Transcript
The transcript for this episode was developed using transcription software. There may be some errors in the content as I do not have capacity to review for accuracy.