What to Say when a Client Makes Sexualised Comments

What do you do when a client starts to be flirtatious or ask questions that appear to be sexual in nature. These comments can often be ambiguous and tend to nudge our boundaries rather than overtly step over them. The ambiguous nature of the comments means the clinician may have a tendency to dismiss their intuition that they are sexual in nature and try and just ignore it. However the more often it is repeated the less the clinician can ignore it and at some time has to make a decision to confront of highlight what is going on. Failure to address the issue often leaves the clinician with   feelings of anger and powerlessness which may impact on their therapeutic interaction with the client as well as impacting on the therapist’s confidence and self esteem.

As a changing in blogging approach I have put this question out to all the clinical staff in our psychology department and will post their responses as they come to hand. What I have asked them is to provide the exact words they would use to confront this behaviour.

Dealing with this issue can feel difficult even for experienced clinicians. As an older man it is not an issue I face with any regularity but in supervising interns many of whom are young and female they regularly run into this issue.

See the following for responses to this:

• Responding to Sexualised Comments 1
• Responding to Sexualised Comments 2
• Responding to Sexualised Comments 3

Comments

[eve online isk]

Dealing with this issue can feel difficult even for experienced clinicians. As an older man it is not an issue I face with any regularity but in supervising interns many of whom are young and female they regularly run into this issue.

[Cure Panic Attacks]

As an older man it is not an issue I face with any regularity

[Calvin Klein]

thank you1

[Counselling london]

like
I love these resources!

[abercrombie españa]

Usted tiene ciertamente algunas de las opiniones y puntos de vista agradables. Tu blog ofrece una mirada fresca a la subject.Have ¿Ha pensado en introducir algunos botones de marcadores sociales a estos blogs. Por lo menos para google.I Realmente aprecio artículos en su sitio. Estás haciendo un buen trabajo! Muchas gracias. :)

[nike free running shoes]

Bedankt voor het schrijven van dit. Ik voel me alsof ik weet zoveel meer over weten dan ik eerder deed. Uw blog echt bracht een aantal dingen aan het licht die ik nooit had gedacht over alvorens te lezen. U moet dit doorgaan, dan zou Im zeker dat de meeste mensen het eens zijn youve kreeg een geschenk.

[tee shirt femme]

Ik voel me alsof ik weet zoveel meer over weten dan ik eerder deed. Uw blog echt bracht een aantal dingen aan het licht die ik nooit had gedacht over alvorens te lezen.