ABSTRACT
Sex negative beliefs fall into three categories: explicit beliefs that are conscious and can be fairly easily identified by the client, latent beliefs that are subconscious and may not be immediately apparent, and body-based beliefs that are stored in and accessed through the body. Identifying the specific religious beliefs that are creating the pain requires reflective listening, asking probing questions, and reframing perspectives of past events to incorporate new information. We suggest two strategies of developing a personal timeline and assessing the client’s touch history. These exercises can help to identify a variety of sources for one’s beliefs and begin the process of developing a coherent narrative of their life. The use of narrative therapy helps to guide the process by externalizing the problem so it does not define them. From this place of increased awareness and freedom, the individual is able to reconstruct their own story, often using more empowered language. Further, exercises of sensate focus are also helpful.
