Content classification system for sexual counseling: Method and application

A classification system for analysis of content of sexual counseling, and its application to a study of the relationship between patients’ pretreatment content expectancies and counselors’ content emphases, are reported. Sexual content categories are organized by (a) the object of patients’ sexual behavior and (b) the generality or specificity of sexual content. Findings revealed that patients expected heavy emphasis to be placed on discussion of specific sexual content, in addition to more traditional subject matter. The pattern of expectations was similar for all patients, regardless of sex, and for therapists of either sex. Cross-sex patient-therapist pairings were found to be the most facilitative condition for meeting patients’ pretreatment content expectancies.