A Sex-Positive, Contextual Approach to Children’s Sexual Development

Sexuality is a multifaceted topic that many counselors feel under-equipped to handle with their clients. Working with sexual aspects is often avoided, especially with younger clients. The purpose of this conceptual article is to provide a framework for understanding and working with children on sexuality-related topics. A positive, contextualized approach to sexuality is offered to understand, assess, and intervene with different developmental levels. We conclude with a case study to demonstrate application of the contextualized model in family counseling.