Psychosexual Therapist

Job responsibilities

Overview of the Post

To provide a qualified psychosexual therapy service, providing psychosexual therapy assessment and treatment services to outpatients experiencing sexual dysfunction and intimacy difficulties under the care of CASH & Community gynaecology services. To provide specialist advice and consultation on patients sexual and relationship difficulties to medical, nursing and AHP colleagues in CASH & Community gynaecology through multidisciplinary team meetings and attendance at clinics as appropriate.

To work autonomously within professional guidelines and within the overall framework of the department and trusts policies and procedures.

Providing assessment and fixed term counselling/psychosexual therapy to patients referred by their GP from Greenwich and Bexley boroughs.

To manage an appropriate and time limited caseload

To attend regular clinical supervision ass agreed with the departmental management team.

To manage complex emotions that may arise from case management.

To be able to assess complex cases and understand the need to refer elsewhere as required.

To keep updated in relevant techniques and therapies via the appropriate CPD.

There are no line management responsibilities attached to this post.

Financial responsibilities

To be responsible for the appropriate sourcing, purchase and approval of specialist supplies, equipment and resource that support psychosexual therapy service.

Accountable to the Clinical and Service Leads and the CYP Head of psychological therapies

The post holder will support the team with training including supporting students and clinical trainees.

The post holder will be expected to regularly review and update the service as required in liaison with the departmental management team. The post holder will be expected to regularly audit and report back on cases and practice.

To work as a clinician in outpatient psychosexual therapy service for adults under the care of CASH & Community gynaecology; delivering a range of interventions to support patients / couples affected by sexual dysfunction (such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, vaginismus, dyspareunia and vulvodynia) across the lifespan, in the form of individual or couple therapy.

The post will require independent management of caseload and provision of a psychosexual therapy service with appropriate supervision and professional management, as per COSRT guidelines. To provide appropriate psychosexual assessments, for conditions such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, vaginismus, dyspareunia and vulvodynia, based upon the use, interpretation and integration of complex psychosexual data from a variety of sources including self-report measures, illness and medical treatment plans, pharmacological and supportive care management and semi-structured interviews with patients, partners and others involved in the patients care. To exercise full responsibility, judgement and autonomy for the psychosexual assessment, management, and discharge of patients, ensuring appropriate psychosexual assessment, formulation and interventions. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options, taking into account theoretical and therapeutic models, and highly complex events concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual and/ or couple, considering the implications of each of these. To undertake risk assessment and risk management and, where appropriate, to provide advice to other professionals both within the hospital and in the community. The post holder will require intensive concentration during all patient contact for prolonged periods, which may involve working with distressed patients and those affected by sexual trauma.

To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner in written and verbal form, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans for patients under the psychosexual therapists care and to monitor therapeutic progress. To communicate with patients and couples about difficult and distressing issues related to sexual well-being and the patients physical and emotional health status. To provide specialist psychosexual advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals (e.g. medics, clinical nurse specialists) contributing directly to formulation, diagnosis and development of a sexual rehabilitation treatment plan. To liaise with multi disciplinary teams and participate in multidisciplinary meetings where appropriate. To attend case conferences, reviews and other meetings as and when appropriate. Ensure that reports and other correspondence are entered into the relevant notes and communicated to other professionals appropriately with due consideration of confidentiality and consent. External liaison with Sexual Medicine and Psychosexual Services, Health, Mental Health and Social Services, and other healthcare providers as well as other relevant professional bodies.

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in terms of the post holders own work and to enhance the work of other team members. To participate in appropriate service evaluation, audit and research, to inform service development and the evidence base. To lead in the development of the use of appropriate outcome measures, their collation and interpretation, and how they can inform service development. To contribute to psychological research within the Clinical Health Psychology service. Be familiar, and comply, with the Trusts requirements on research governance.

Key working relationships:

Departmental management team

Colleagues within the Market St service

Wider Oxleas team

Peers and practitioners working in other local services.

Ability to communicate verbally and in writing with the departmental team and the present audit and relevant reports.

Policy and Service Development

Participate in the identification and recommendation of service priorities for psychosexual practice. To collaborate with medical and nursing teams to enhance existing service pathways. To participate in the development, evaluation and monitoring of the services operational policies through the deployment of professional skills in service evaluation and audit. Awareness of relevant government directives and guidance concerning psychosexual and psychosocial support in sexual health services, and contribute to interpreting, advising and/or coordinating their application across the Trust.

Education and Supervision Responsibility

Dependent on professional background, provide clinical placements for trainee psychosexual therapists/ psychologists/ counsellors, ensuring those trainees acquire the necessary skills, competencies and experience to contribute effectively to good psychosexual/ mental ...