Religion has for centuries shaped our sexual values and behaviors, everything from masturbation to ejaculation to procreation. This is possibly most noticeable in Orthodox Judaism. Thankfully for ultra-Orthodox women in my local region, Bat Sheva Marcus is an Orthodox Jewish sex counselor, teaching patients and kallah teachers (sex educators) how to balance religious observance with physiological arousal in order to maintain a healthy sexual relationship between husband and wife. Daniel Bergner presents Marcus’ work with the Medical Center for Female Sexuality and the Hasidic Judaism community in The Orthodox Sex Guru (The New York Times). I often refer patients to Bat Sheva Marcus and highly respect her for the difference she’s making in women’s lives and marriages.
Judaism is just one of the religions I will be discussing during my upcoming teleseminar with Dr. Talli Rosenbaum and Kristin Hodson. During week one Dr. Rosenbaum will discuss basic Judaism views surrounding the sexual act and present three core concepts of Judaism surrounding sexuality. She will also provide some cautions for practitioners who wish to treat Orthodox Jewish clients. In Week Two, Kristen will discuss Mormonism and sexuality and in week three, I will discuss techniques for working with couples who have mixed religious backgrounds. I will address religious extremism and how it relates to sexuality in the modern world. 3 AASECT CE’s are available – Class starts March 3rd. Register here
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