Sunday, June 21, 2009

Sexology 101

facets: Sexology 101
Blonde facets: Sexology 101 magnify
As an undergraduate reading Social Work at Uni, each semester required the selection of two elective subjects. There was no way i was going to ignore Sexology 101 (modelled on the steam at Syracuse University NY). The subject itself is fascinating - to the extent that i continued studying this stream to the post-graduate level and was included in the evening clinical staff at the University's Sexual Counselling and Research Centre for 3 years.

This one elective unit shaped my career to this day. Most of Y/you know that i have worked in the area of child protection for most of my adult life. But as a new graduate in a relatively small city, a profile in Sexology opened many unexpected career doors and somewhat accelerated my career path. There have been some real highlights along the way and i will say this, when sex is involved, even where the matters are of a serious nature there are sometimes some very 'interesting' and humorous moments.

So where did it all start?... *beckons Y/you* ... come to the first lecture with me..

The lectures were held at the Uni School's of Therapy (SOT) Campus which is attached to a major rehabilitation hospital. The Campus is well-equipped for training Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Chiropractic, Podiatry etc. The Rehab Hospital provides plenty of opportunities for supervised clinical and lab work. The more physical models of Family Therapy or systems analysis (eg: family sculpting a la Virgina Satir) were also taught there in huge rooms with two-way mirrors to enable Lecturers to assess the students discreetly.

So, enrolled in the unit Y/you and i now look through the unit outline. There is a sigh of dismay at the booklist (make note not to eat for the next month!) and some puzzlement at the instructions for the first lecture - bring a lecture pad, cushion, plenty of water and snacks sufficient for three hours.

We arrive on the SOT campus with more bewildered than usual expressions and enough food and drink for a two-week siege. Shuffling into the 'lecture' room we set down our cushions and spread out our drinks and snack. It looks like a picnic area ... *smiles* ... it was quite - festive.

Our lecturer, an internationally renowned Professor in the subject picks her way through popcorn and chocolate bars to the front of the room and offers a brief outline of desensitisation. The main thrust being, if as a professional you are embarrassed about sex and talking about sexual matters then you are of little use to a patient/client. This makes perfect sense. We are all nodding in agreement - some of us blushing furiously and looking at the floor..*lol*.. but we got the point.

She then explained that comfort with sexual matters was essential to developing both humour and a professionally neutral approach. She was a great believer in humour! We were expected to take notes of our reactions and aspects that stood out for us for reflection later. All instructions outlined and understood?? ... oh, and there would be NO LEAVING THE ROOM ... (*insert a mass rush for the loos here*) ... We were now about to undergo desensitisation. On that, three huge screens were dropped down.

Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the Fuck-a-rama!

Three screens spring to life simultaneously showing people engaged in various sexual activities. Bear in mind, this was not the gloss of porn, but 'real people' across a wide adult age range. Now Y/you may be smiling here but let me tell YOU ... that first hour was sheer PURGATORY! ... Between not knowing where to look and the sound of moaning and gasping from the screens, mingled with nervous student giggles and the usual smart-arse remarks and sniggers from the male bravado group it was truly a most uncomfortable experience. All that stood out for me in this was a voluptuous woman masturbating with one leg up on the edge of her bath - naked except for her glasses ... i wondered why she kept them on ... i pondered on this and still do to this day ... i mean, she seemed to know where everything relevant to the task at hand was.

By the second hour the room was quiet apart from munching and the dull sound of pens on paper. OMAL!! WTF????... Screen one: LEATHER and whips??? ... Screen two: OLD people having sex on a boat??? ... Screen three: two girls and a double ended ... something ... *peering at the screen* ... what was that long thing they were ... um...sharing?? (made note..ask Prof about this one) ... it was hard to know which screen to look at, so the eyes scanned and bounced between all three until the pictures and sounds were a jumble in the mind.

By hour three we were groaning... please NO MORE! ... But we persevered.. much more writing, no smart-ass remarks - the energy and the mood had shifted.

Three hours of non- stop sex of every variation of people and activity imaginable on three screens simultaneously. By the last half hour there was a clear and clinical mood.

Then Prof asked very pointed questions:





How many mugs were on the mantelpiece of the BDSM couple?

Were the couple in the grass in a park or field?

What age do you think people cease having sex?

What aroused you?

What repulsed you?


We were then asked to select a topic for our tutorial. i was the 'first cab off the rank' for the tutorial the following week ... *lol* ... of course i chose BDSM ... but more on that some other time ... *w*

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