Date of Award

Summer 8-15-2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

PhD Counseling Psychology

Department

Professional Psychology and Family Therapy

Advisor

Minsun Lee, PhD

Committee Member

Jessica Jean Baptiste, PhD

Committee Member

Kerry Cannity, PhD

Keywords

counseling and clinical psychology graduate training, sexual intervention self-efficacy, sex positivity, sexual wellbeing

Abstract

Sexual wellbeing is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of psychological health. Despite its significance, many psychologists report discomfort and low self-efficacy in addressing clients’ sexual concerns. The current study examined factors associated with sexual intervention self-efficacy among doctoral trainees in clinical and counseling psychology. Specifically, it investigated whether family communication about sex and didactic education in sexuality predicted sexual intervention self-efficacy and whether sex positivity moderated these relationships. A cross-sectional survey design was employed with 166 doctoral students enrolled in APA-accredited programs across the United States. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and measures assessing family sexual communication, sex positivity, didactic education in sexuality, and sexual intervention self-efficacy. Hierarchical regression and moderation analyses indicated that both family sexual communication and didactic education were positively associated with sexual intervention self-efficacy. Although sex positivity was independently associated with higher self-efficacy, it did not significantly moderate the relationships between education or family sexual communication and self-efficacy. These findings underscore the importance of integrating sexuality-related education and fostering open communication attitudes in doctoral training programs to enhance clinicians’ confidence in addressing sexual wellbeing. Implications for curriculum development, supervision, and future research are discussed.

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