[Intro]

(0:02) Someone recently interviewed me with these questions and I thought I would share them with you.

(0:07) First he asked, 'What inspired you to pursue sexology?'
I don't know that I was inspired so much as attracted.  I do know that my best friend's father was a urologist and so she knew a lot about sex., which she taught me, and I loved learning about sexual things so that I could teach her in return.  I was about age 12, and nobody stifled my interest in sexuality, so I quickly developed a shame-free attitude about it.

(0:28) 'Was there anything you wish you knew before starting your career?'
Before...?  I'm not really sure when the start of my career happened.  I think I would have preferred knowing about taxes, business licenses, and insurance much earlier?  I learned how to have a business by setting up a lemonade stand, and that is not how it works.  I also wish I would have known about student memberships at associations and organizations related to my field.  For sexology, this would be quad-S, which stands for the Society for Scientific Study of Sexuality, or AASECT, which is the American Association of Sexual Educators, Counselors, and Therapists.  Student memberships are SO much cheaper that professional ones, and you get the same access to their journals, other information, what's going on in the field, and to the community.  Lastly, earlier in my career, I would have loved knowing Virginia Johnson and Jack Annon, who have since passed.

(1:14) 'How do people react when you tell them about your job?  Is there any opposition to the field?'
So, I say, "I'm a clinical sexologist," and some people respond, "Clinical psychologist?" like their brains can't even process that a sexologist would exist.  For those who do hear what I'm saying, they think 'sex therapy.'  Others ask, "What's that like?" usually with a grade school humor.  'So you're a lay person...'  I would say the last group of respondents takes it as an invitation to either tell me their sexual secrets or hit on me.  It's a mixed bag.  So, is there opposition to the field?  There's opposition to sex, so that includes the study of it.

(1:49) 'What do you find most enjoyable about your job?  What do you find most challenging?'
Most enjoyable?  The high-five moments when somebody has been working so hard and so smart on themselves that they have this 'a-ha' moment, and we both naturally reach up and give each other a high-five to celebrate.
Most challenging?  When people aren't willing to change, but want different results for their behavior patterns.  They blame external things and feel sorry for themselves, which is not only challenging to navigate, it's also going to take more energy to get out of the way until they're ready or willing to get ready.

(2:19) 'What skills do you use most in the field?'
Reading, writing, public speaking, inter- and intra-personal communication, negotiation, problem solving, and creativity.

(2:27) 'How much education or training is required to meet legal certification or licensing requirements, and are there specific programs I should be looking for?'
It depends on where you are, or where you want to be, for your licensure and certification.  I would recommend starting with SAR, which is the Sexual Attitude Restructuring programs that you can find around the world.  They're a short, affordable way to test your passion and endurance for the field.  If you want to teach or research, I would suggest doing a strong PhD program.  If you want to counsel, I would go the MFT route: the Marriage and Family Therapist route.  If you want to dabble in many areas and learn for yourself, then I would suggest trying a professional doctorate, like a DHS or a series of workshops.  Again, in the description, I have posted a list of sexuality programs.

(3:10) 'Is there a high demand for sexologists?'
There can be.  It depends on the culture.  In many places, it's considered shameful to ask for help, especially when we perceive it as a natural instinct that you should be able to do without any sort of education.  For my 30th birthday, I offered 30 free sessions on a Facebook post, and they were filled within two days.  That's a demand to me.

(3:29) 'What would you be doing if you were NOT a sexologist?'
Manual labor on a farm.

(3:33) 'Do you have any recommendations on where I can find out more about sexology?'
I quite like Wikipedia.  I would also recommend visiting the websites of other sexologists to see what their philosophies are, and how they market themselves.  Going to a conference is probably the BEST means of getting more information.  You'll feel saturated very quickly, but you'll have rafts of people around you, cheering for your participation in the field.

(3:53) 'Is there anything else I should know about the field?'
I think it's really important to work with others.  Mentors, peers, colleagues, teachers.  These people are going to give you perspective, keep things fresh, and encourage you to stay curious.

More memories about this, how I maybe decided to pursue sexology, are found on our Subbable page.