Holistic Sexual Health: Clinical Resources

Trauma-informed tools to support desire, arousal, and intimacy in care

Most healthcare providers receive fewer than five hours of formal sexual health education, with limited training on desire and pleasure (Shindel & Parish, 2011). Yet sexual health concerns show up daily—in pelvic pain, chronic illness, mental health, relationships, identity, and quality of life.

This resource exists to help close that gap.

 

Why This Matters

Sexual wellbeing is often addressed only when something feels “wrong.” But true sexual wellness isn’t just the absence of pain or dysfunction—it’s the presence of agency, safety, pleasure, and self-defined expression.

Clinicians don’t need to be sex therapists to support this work. What’s needed are:

  • Language that feels professional and scope-appropriate

  • Trauma-informed, non-prescriptive tools

  • Resources that normalize desire, arousal, and intimacy as part of whole-person care

 

What You’ll Find Here

A curated collection of clinician-appropriate resources, including:

  • Educational tools for understanding desire styles and arousal

  • Consent-based frameworks to support communication and safety

  • Erotic media framed for therapeutic exploration

  • Pleasure tools presented as optional aids for agency and embodiment

These resources are intended to support clinical conversations, not replace therapy or medical care.

 

Who This Is For

  • Physical therapists/Occupational therapists

  • Mental health clinicians

  • Medical and allied health providers

  • Health & wellness professionals

Especially those who want to:

  • Expand care beyond symptom reduction

  • Feel more confident addressing sexual health questions

  • Offer thoughtful education and referrals within scope

 

About the Curator

Curated by Dr. Rose Schlaff, DPT, WHC, IF
Pelvic Physical Therapist | Sexologist | Neuroscience-Informed Educator

Dr. Rose Schlaff helps therapists and healthcare professionals integrate sexual health into care through a trauma-informed, whole-system lens. Her work focuses on supporting desire, arousal, and intimacy as essential components of holistic wellness—beyond pain reduction or dysfunction alone.

She is the founder of Be Well with Rose, where she provides education, clinical resources, and training for therapists. Dr. Rose teaches nationally and internationally and serves as faculty and lecturer in post-professional programs including the University of Michigan’s Human Sexuality Program and San Diego State University’s Marriage and Family Therapy program. Her approach centers consent, inclusivity, and nervous system safety.

 
 

For Clinicians Seeking Further Training

If you’re a therapist or healthcare professional wanting more support integrating sexual health into care, I offer neuroscience-informed trainings designed to build confidence, clarity, and scope-appropriate practice.