A Manual of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Sexual Dysfunctions: Connecting with the Meaning of Sexual Experience

Sexual dysfunctions are an increasingly prevalent concern in a society that places excessive emphasis on performance in intimate relationships. Breaking with the traditional approaches that currently dominate clinical practice, this manual offers a fundamentally different framework for understanding and addressing the human suffering associated with these difficulties.

Drawing on functional contextualism, the author argues that the problem does not lie in the dysfunction itself, but in the way individuals experience and relate to their difficulties in sexual relating — becoming trapped in a struggle to improve and control their sexual performance, a struggle that itself becomes part of the problem.

This manual presents an application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to sexual dysfunctions, grounded in personal values, present-moment connection, and psychological acceptance. It offers a reflective critique of the prevailing model in clinical sexology; a contextual-functional account of the origin and maintenance of the principal sexual difficulties; assessment strategies; and the Double Diamond Model — an original adaptation of the ACT Hexaflex to the domain of sex therapy. Extensive case material, clinical dialogues, and worked examples guide the reader through the therapeutic processes of change.

A Manual of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Sexual Dysfunctions is intended as a practice-based clinical resource for psychologists, sex therapists, and mental health professionals. It draws on established empirical frameworks — ACT, Relational Frame Theory (RFT), and evidence-based sex therapy — integrated with the author's clinical experience in private practice and doctoral research at the University of Granada. Written in clear, accessible language without sacrificing the technical rigour required for a thorough understanding of the subject, it is equally suited to students of psychology and clinical sexology.