MFT5226 addresses one of the most clinically important yet frequently undertrained areas in marriage and family therapy: working with sexual issues within the systemic therapeutic framework. As a focused 1-credit elective, the course provides concentrated exposure to the clinical skills and theoretical knowledge needed to address sexual concerns competently when they arise in couple and family therapy — which they do regularly, whether as presenting problems or as interrelated dimensions of other relational difficulties.
A systemic approach to sexual issues
What the course addresses
- Sexual functioning within relationships: Students learn to assess and address sexual functioning concerns (desire discrepancy, arousal difficulties, sexual pain, orgasmic disorders) through a systemic lens — understanding these as relational phenomena shaped by communication patterns, emotional connection, power dynamics, and interactional cycles rather than as isolated individual dysfunctions
- Attitudes toward sexuality: The course examines how individuals' and families' attitudes toward sexuality — shaped by culture, religion, family of origin, generational norms, and personal history — influence relationship satisfaction, communication about sexual needs, and the meaning-making that partners and families attach to sexual behavior and identity
- Sexual orientation: Students develop competency in working affirmatively with clients of all sexual orientations, understanding how sexual orientation intersects with family dynamics, couple relationships, identity development, and the social and cultural contexts that shape clients' experiences
Why sexual issues require specialized attention in MFT training
Research consistently shows that sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction are strongly correlated, and that sexual concerns are among the most common issues clients bring to couple therapy — yet many therapists report feeling underprepared to address sexual issues directly. MFT5226 addresses this training gap by developing the comfort, knowledge, and clinical skills needed to engage with sexual topics professionally and therapeutically. The systemic framework is particularly well-suited to addressing sexual issues because sexual functioning in relationships is inherently relational — it occurs between people, is shaped by their interaction patterns, and both influences and is influenced by other dimensions of the relationship.
MFT5226 assignments include clinical case analyses and systemic intervention papers for sexual issues in therapy
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Frequently asked questions
MFT5226 and MFT5232 address related but distinct topics. MFT5232 (Gender and Sexuality in MFT) takes a broader perspective, examining historical and contemporary perspectives on gender and sexuality as they relate to assessment and intervention with families — how gender roles, gender identity, and societal constructions of gender and sexuality shape family dynamics and therapeutic work. MFT5226 (Sexual Issues in Couple and Family Therapy) is more clinically focused, concentrating on the specific clinical skills needed to address sexual functioning, sexual concerns, and sexuality-related issues when they arise in couple and family therapy sessions. Where MFT5232 asks "how do gender and sexuality shape family systems and therapeutic work?", MFT5226 asks "how do I competently address sexual issues when my clients bring them into the therapy room?" Students benefit from both courses: MFT5232 provides the broader conceptual framework, while MFT5226 develops the specific clinical application skills.