Therapy Naked

As long as neither one is being sexually gratified during the sessions and progress is made whats the problem

For instance, it might be therapeutic for a woman who had breast cancer and had a mastectomy to show her scars to her therapist and sit there topless, learning to accept her new body.

there is such a thing as a licensed sex therapist, also, who may or may not get naked or get you naked, was my understanding. but I don't believe this young lady is one of them, as she is not displaying those uh credentials.

That, I would generally agree with. If the PURPOSE of Naked Therapy were not to arouse the client (or gratify the client visually) but to actually give the client legitimate therapy, then I'd have no real problem with it. The problem I have with Naked Therapy isn't the naked part. I grew up around hippies, so nudity bothers me less than it bothers most people. My problem with Naked Therapy is that it IS sexual. The practitioner is not properly trained or licensed, and is really just selling sexual arousal and eye candy under the false banner of "therapy." She is reinforcing her clients' negative behaviors (i.e. porn addiction, internet addiction, intimacy issues, insecurity with RL dating/partners) by allowing the client to be gratified through her, rather than seeking out healthier ways to find gratification in RL.

I think her brand of Naked Therapy-- and the kind of attention it attracts-- is also problematic because it sensationalizes nudity and makes it more difficult for those who use nudity in constructive ways to be taken seriously. For instance, those who use nudity in art, those who use nudity as a way of increasing body awareness and self-acceptance, etc. In fact, I think in certain contexts, there may even be a place for limited, situation-specific nudity (on the part of the client) in more legitimate kinds of therapy. Still, I don't think any licensed therapist in the US can use any kind of nudity in his/her practice without causing a license violation-- however, I can imagine contexts where it might be (theoretically) appropriate. For instance, it might be therapeutic for a woman who had breast cancer and had a mastectomy to show her scars to her therapist and sit there topless, learning to accept her new body. I can see where learning to accept one's body-- or see that someone else accepts their body-- would be a therapeutic endeavor. However, engaging in any kind of "therapy" that tries to use these circumstances to elicit arousal just seems dead wrong to me.

It's like in the M&M commercial the guy is giggling because he thinks the M&M is naked, which is childish at best. He was the only one that saw her naked.

You say these people she has as clients are all there because of sexual problems. The article never states that it is for sexual problems. The only people that see this as sexual are seeing it because they want to. If you have ever been to a nudist colony every ones naked and not walking around aroused and oggling everybody. To state everything she does as wrong and unethical just because it's different is narrow minded. Unless you are there, how do you know it's all about sexual arousal. You keep saying it's all about sexual arousal when you don't know. If someone gets aroused everytime they see someone naked then they have a problem. It's like in the M&M commercial the guy is giggling because he thinks the M&M is naked, which is childish at best. He was the only one that saw her naked. It's all in the mind of the individual, if you have a dirty mind then you will see sex in everything.

Actually, SHE HERSELF says it is all about sexual arousal and male desire on her website. I am taking her at her word.

This is the FIRST sentence on her website:

"Naked Therapy is an experience that combines elements from positive and person-centered talk therapy, experiential therapy, and creative play therapy, with the added component of the client and/or therapist getting naked to facilitate more honest and unique insights through the experience of arousal."

Then she goes on to say: "in Naked Therapy the patient and therapist also engage in arousal-enhancing conversations and activities."

"Naked Therapy is different for every patient because it is based on the patient’s arousal, which is always personal and unique."

Then, she explains the kinds of (primarily sexual/relational) problems that have brought her clients to Naked therapy:

"different patients seek Naked Therapy for different reasons. Some are single and they’re trying to get better at meeting someone significant. Some are married and they’re looking for someone new to talk to. Some are having sexual or relationship problems and want help working through them. Some lack confidence around the opposite sex and need to practice and improve in that area. Some have unresolved issues from childhood that are keeping them from realizing their full potential. Some are frustrated and simply need to vent. Some are dealing with pornography addiction and want to overcome that. Some merely want to express themselves and engage in thoughtful conversation with someone who listens. Some are just curious. And some are interested in taking a long, fascinating journey through their arousal."

Then she lists some (again, sexual) goals that she helps her clients work on:

"- Achieving a more satisfying sex life
- Improving intimate relationships
- Understanding and resolving feelings about porn use
- Seeing positively and harnessing the power of masturbation"

I find it problematic that she helps her clients who have porn addictions resolve their FEELINGS about their excessive porn use, rather than explore what has led to the addiction or try to reduce the behavior. She talks more about this later on-- about how the FEELINGS of guilt are the problem, not the addiction. After all, isn't watching her undress feeding their addiction? I should probably also mention that I have no problem with porn itself-- I have a problem when it (or anything) becomes an uncontrollable addiction that interferes with one's ability to function in daily life. And I have a problem with "therapists" enabling clients' maladaptive behaviors.

Finally, her homepage has a 5-paragraph section under the bolded heading:

What’s So Important About Arousal?

http://sarahwhitetherapy.com/naked-therapy

Feel free to read it in its entirety.

Perhaps this post is a bit of quote-overkill, but I wanted to make it clear that my comments were in fact well-founded, and based on the Naked Therapist's own words.

As far as being certified. Just as she stated if she got certification she would have wasted her time and money because she would have lost her certification.

Guess what else the Naked Therapist tried to do?!!!

Pass off her "therapy" 0ff as art!

She arranged to hold Naked Therapy sessions in a hotel room and have them broadcast live via webcam at an art show, for all of the art patrons to see.

Can you imagine having your therapy sessions broadcast over the internet to complete strangers?

I'm sorry, but you can't have it both ways. Naked Therapy as "therapy" and as "art."

Luckily, the Chelsea Art Festival took her out of the show at the last minute, recognizing that her ploy was not in fact art but, rather, a shameless attempt at self-promotion for financial gain.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1502610.html

It's not just that she is unlicensed. She has no graduate degree in psychology or social work, and no on-the-job training, period! Nowhere on her website or in any of her interviews does she even state where she obtained her bachelor's degree (presuming she has one). Reputable therpists are extremely forthcoming about their educational backgrounds. Ms. White merely states that she studied art, biology, and psychology at the undergraduate level. So did most people with undergraduate degrees. Does that mean they are all qualified to treat partients in private practice? Hey, I got an undergraduate minor in psychology before pursuing my PhD in another field-- does that mean I'm qualified to be a therapist, too? It's not the piece of paper that makes one qualified; it's the training! She has no graduate training in psychology and has never worked under the supervision of a trained therapist. Before ANYONE should be alone with a patient, they should have undergone SOME training and, as someone just starting out in the field, they should absolutely have a supervisor who is monitering their development. Being a therapist is a very delicate job, because you are dealing with the mental health of patients, many of whom have mental illnesses. If you are untrained, you have the potential to do significant damage. After all, no one just automatically knows everything about treating patients. That's the whole point of training and supervision. And someone who is only 24 years old and has no graduate degree in psychology, should probably be receiving more supervision than most. Doesn't this scare anyone?

I have been to licsenced therapist/phsycologist with diplomas on the wall and he had some of the worst advice I have ever heard. Rescripting. After all the things I had been through, just pretend it didn't happen and insert new memory.If you have flash backs just pretend it didn't happen and act like something good happened instead. Never saw this guy again. Licsense to practice doesn't mean you are a good therapist. Just take note of some of the comments made by people on this site.

And I really do not believe that I am just "seeing sex" in a legitimate therapy practice. I am by no means conservative when it comes to sensuality, sexuality, bodies, or nudity. When I was 18, I lived on a hippie compound for goodness, sake! I've been to non-sexual nude events. I posed for a nude portrait for a photographer friend. I'm fully aware that nudity can be non-sexual. In fact, my first romantic partner is now a well-known author who writes books about female sensuality. I think that's great-- she says what she thinks, but she does not claim to be a therapist! Certainly, there are appropriate ways to use nudity, arousal, and sensuality in order to learn more about ourselves and work through any issues we may have. All I'm saying is that, in my opinion, this is not what Ms. White is doing. In my opinion, her attention-getting tactics, her drive to fulfill her own need for exhibitionism, and her desire for high financial profits are what are driving her practice. She is a 24-year-old who charges $200/hour without taking insurance. She charges more than a traditional therapist, who DOES have higher education, years of training, and years of work experience with clients. Does that not seem odd? Certainly, she thinks quite highly of her own abilities.

I would also like to quote from the Q & A on her own website.

My therapist charges $150 hr and wanted $600 to fill out a report for ss.
The phsyc hospital I did outpatient 3hr sessions 3 times a week. $1800 dollars for 2 weeks. If someone wanted to interact with someone naked on the internet it could be done for free. What rate would be satisfactory?

Q: Can I masturbate during my session?
Yes!

Her wesbite says very little about her therapeutic approaches (nothing that isn't vague), but she very clearly advertises that you can masturbate while watching her undress! With absolutely no qualifiers about how masturbation while she watches-- for some clients-- is possibly be therapeutic or a part of their "process." Is she claiming that masturbating in front of her-- with no restrictions-- is really what is in the best interests of every client that wants to do so? I highy doubt that is true!

Maybe not every client, but some. The patients maybe looking for new therapies that the old establishment cannot provide. Her clients may have found the therapy the establishment couldn't provide. Have there been any studies on this therapy by someone with a license. Then where are people to go when traditional therapy no longer works. Should they wait for the establishment to explore these new types of therapy. Sounds like a long wait.

She also states:

Q: Am I allowed to make special requests?
Yes. If you want me to wear something special, ask me in advance and it can be arranged. If you want me to undress in a certain way, that can also be happen. And if you want to see me from a certain angle, or you want me to do or say something specific, simply ask.

Is giving in to a client's requents always in their best interests? Indulgence can certainly be a form of enabling.

In some cases yes, but we don't know the circumstances.

She also has no screenings with patients to determine whether or not she believes she can help them. Virtually all licensed therapists will first provide a free session to prospective clients to determine why they are seeking therapy, what they hope to gain, and whether there is a good fit between therapist and client. If not, the therapist will typically refer them to someone who is better qualified to help that particular client. But, for Ms. White, the only "screening process" is a credit card payment. And you have to pay BEFORE you determine if she is a good fit.

I have seen two therapist that required insurance or payment for evaluation. Both were at hospitals. I ended up paying for the evaluation because my insurance didn't. Oschner.

Q: How do I schedule a session?
To schedule a session, you need to pay first. Click here to pay for a session.

Finally, from everything I've read, it just strikes me that anytime she is asked to expand upon her philosophy, she gives fluffy, nebulous answers that don't actually tell you anything. She has pages and pages and pages of writing about her therapy, but nowhere does she state what actual therapeutic techniques she uses. For anyone with any training in psychology, her answers read like fluff. It's exactly what my B/C range University students do when they are not knowledgable about the subject matter. They just fill up space while saying nothing of substance.

dont mean any offense here but therapy sessions are always being broadcast if not by internet then by cable tv and radio here in america.

You are a licensed therapist/phsyciatrist and have no problem with nudity. You seem more than qualified to start your own naked therapy and bring everything out in the open. Lets find out if it's valid by doing your own study. A study by the establishment, someone with a license.