ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the history of sex therapy and recent trends in the field including the medicalization of sexual dysfunction and responses to medicalization. The professional life of the sex therapist is described, highlighting the various sex therapy organizations, the personal and professional process of becoming a sex therapist, and the ethical principles of
sex therapy. Finally, the controversy over the distinctiveness of sex therapy-or lack thereof-and therefore whether certification of sex therapists is warranted are considered.
