If Psychology is a field of research capable of interesting very different profiles, it is among other things because this field of science deals with very different topics; basically, all those related to human behavior, emotions and different ways of thinking.
Because of this, the work of psychologists goes far beyond what is usually understood as the treatment of mental illnesses. And of course, it also gets involved in human sexuality and everything that surrounds it. Furthermore, it does so by leaving out that artificial distinction between leisure and love that is sometimes raised when talking about sex; understands sexuality as a complex area of life full of nuances, and whose implications go beyond pleasure and relationships. In fact, it also goes beyond individuals, and talks about society.
So that, Let’s see why human sexuality is an important topic from the point of view of psychologists through a tour of the facets of sex that are of interest to this science.
1. Sexual self-esteem is key to emotional well-being
The way we feel about our sexual identity and everything related to our way of living sexuality has a significant impact on self-esteem ; That is why in recent years the concept of sexual self-esteem has gained strength. This means that the way in which we value this area of our life is reflected both in our emotional balance and in the behavioral patterns that we adopt when relating to other people, both in intimate interactions and in more communicative exchanges. impersonal.
2. Sexual disorders very often have psychological causes
The boundary between sexual disorders and the set of psychological disorders unrelated to sexual matters is not well defined. In fact, phenomena such as anxiety , very important in psychotherapy and in research from Clinical Psychology, is behind a large part of the cases of sexual disorders. And even when problems with having complete sexual relations have an organic basis (for example, due to injuries), the mental is still part of the causes that keep them functioning; See, for example, what is known as a “self-fulfilling prophecy”: a person who believes that he will fail or perform poorly at a task is more likely to lose control over what he does.
3. Sexuality has an influence on relationships
Although it is true that for some couples the fact of having sexual relations is not important, in most cases sexuality does influence the dynamics of the relationship, even through actions that apparently have nothing to do with the scope. of the intimate. As we have seen, there is sexual self-esteem, and, on the other hand, sexuality affects metaperception, which is the way in which we believe others perceive us, including the degree to which we consider ourselves attractive. Because of that, both coexistence and communication styles and the interest in staying in a courtship or marriage They have to do with sexuality.
4. Many problematic behavior patterns have causes in sexual dissatisfaction
Frustrations related to sex cause many people to internalize problematic behavior patterns to try to alleviate that discomfort, or channel it through actions that only serve to perpetuate the problem. Therefore, from Psychology it is usually useful to explore in the sexual field the possible causes of an apparently non-sexual phenomenon
5. Sexual education is essential to combat gender stereotypes
Gender roles and stereotypes have been feeding very limiting ways of living sexuality for millennia; That is why sexual education is very relevant to improve both emotional balance to avoid risky behaviors fueled by aspects such as guilt or simple ignorance.
6. The way in which societies experience sexuality helps to understand cultural dynamics
Finally, it must be taken into account that a good part of Cultural differences between societies or even ethnicities are related to sexuality Therefore, to execute intervention plans in groups or through public policies, it is important to know the way in which each human group experiences sex through its customs, symbols, traditions, etc. In this sense, Social Psychology and Cultural Psychology must be informed by studies focused on human sexuality.
An area in which to train
Taking all this into account, we can be more aware of the importance of sexuality in the population and of course, of the importance of sexuality in psychology. Sexual health greatly affects the well-being of the adult population Therefore, it is essential to have trained professionals to treat it and care for any related pathology. Furthermore, to enjoy adequate sexual health, good sexual education is highly recommended.
In this sense, training in sexology is a great decision that will allow you to explore less frequent areas of psychology and with countless job possibilities.
If what you want is to learn more about the relationship between sexuality and psychology and specialize in this area, the Mediterranean School of Psychology They are the best option. 100% online training that you can access from wherever and whenever you want to be able to combine it with the rest of your daily tasks.
Among the programs offered by the Mediterranean School of Psychology we find the Postgraduate in Sexology: Therapeutic intervention and techniquesor the Postgraduate in sexual education and family planningwhich will allow you to specialize and explore this branch of study.
