Clinicians can, rightfully so, feel cautions to challenge what clients admit as cultural messages. For example, "I grew up in a Catholic home and still view sex as 'dirty' and 'sinful,' and I’m having a hard time enjoying it,” or “My culture values young women, and women over 40 aren’t considered attractive anymore…

Before you read on, here's a self-assessment to stoke self reflection.

Take a look at Victoria's Secret's website and Rihanna’s SavagexFenty website. Ask yourself: “if my sex and intimacy occupational therapy practice was either Victoria’s Secret or SavagexFenty, which one would it be?”

A study conducted last year by Bolding et al. (2022) examined the knowledge, clinical preparedness, and attitudinal awareness of occupational therapy practitioners, in regards to the LGBTQIA+ folks. This self-report study was broken down by category and found that on a scale of 1-7, respondents scored a mean of 4.7 in their Knowledge about queer populations, 4.4 in Clinical Preparedness, and 5.6 in Attitudinal Awareness.

If you have a brain, you have a bias. Confronting our own biases is uncomfortable, but it is our ethical responsibility as occupational therapy professionals. Considering how paramount reconciling our biases are to enhancing the therapeutic relationship and treatment efficacy, and reducing patient harm and health disparities…