Would you see a therapist that had worked in adult entertainment?

[ChrisWydeman]

Over the years I have seen many escorts retire and pursue other passions. It got me wondering, if you knew someone had worked in adult entertainment would that effect how you view them in other professions? What are your thoughts on therapists that may have escorted or done porn?

[+ purplekow]

It would probably get to thinking about what they look like under their clothes. It would be tittilating but as long as they are doing their professional work to a high degree of professionalism, it would make no difference to me. There is a well respected surgeon at the hospital at which I work who was a resident in training when I first arrived at this hospital more than 30 years ago. At that time, it was well known that he made extra money as a male stripper. It has not colored my referral pattern now or ever,.

[Kippy]

Only for sex...

 

Rough and ready,

 

Kipp

[+ Gar1eth]

I had a long answer-but I wasn't expressing myself well. But in addition to what I was going to say which I'm not now due to not being able to express it-it seems to me to be a question of boundaries. In most cases a patient probably doesn't need to know their therapist was in adult entertainment at one time. Take @purplekow's acquaintance, if the guy is a good surgeon-do I need to the knowledge he worked as a stripper?

 

Now in certain situations maybe the patient might need to know-as in counseling someone else in adult entertainment. But even then, it still might be crossing boundaries. The patient might begin to look at you as more of a colleague rather than a therapist.

 

So if you're a good therapist, then you're a good therapist. And having been in adult entertainment is part of your life experience that brought you to your current life. But that doesn't in my opinion mean you necessarily need to let the patient know.

 

Gman

[ChrisWydeman]

I had a long answer-but I wasn't expressing myself well. But in addition to what I was going to say which I'm not now due to not being able to express it-it seems to me to be a question of boundaries. In most cases a patient probably doesn't need to know their therapist was in adult entertainment at one time. Take @purplekow's acquaintance, if the guy is a good surgeon-do I need to the knowledge he worked as a stripper?

 

Now in certain situations maybe the patient might need to know-as in counseling someone else in adult entertainment. But even then, it still might be crossing boundaries. The patient might begin to look at you as more of a colleague rather than a therapist.

 

So if you're a good therapist, then you're a good therapist. And having been in adult entertainment is part of your life experience that brought you to your current life. But that doesn't in my opinion mean you necessarily need to let the patient know.

 

Gman

What I am getting at is, if lets say Rocco Steel became a therapist would knowing he had done sex work effect your comfortably in seeing him a therapy client?

[Stormy]

What I am getting at is, if lets say Rocco Steel became a therapist would knowing he had done sex work effect your comfortably in seeing him a therapy client?

Yes. I would feel comfortable seeing a former sex worker. I would have zero hang ups

[+ nycman]

I think the therapist needs to acknowledge (at least to himself) that it will be an issue.

Transference, counter transference, the whole messy life of the patient and the

therapist is all a part of the therapy game. It happens in all therapy, wether or not

the therapist was an adult entertainer. It just one more factor that may or may not

enter into the mix.

 

If the therapist can’t handle that, they should seek another profession.

If the client can’t handle it, they should seek another therapist.

[big-n-tall]

For me personally, I would have no issue.

 

However, as some addressed it will be a problem for some and not for others. There will be people who may actually come to you just because they knew you did sex work, maybe from some morbid or unconscious curiosity. Just as someone may find out after the fact and be appalled.

 

I can tell you a friend, who was a porn actor and escort (who became a doctor), went through hell dealing with a lot of unprofessionalism during school/training because he was upfront about his sex work past. Most of it was from colleagues but some was from patients he saw. He got through it and as the years have gone by, his sex work past seemed to fade from the public consciousness.

[JayCeeKy]

The best predictor of a positive therapeutic outcome is the therapeutic relationship. Translated: the most effective therapy occurs when the client and the therapist trust each other, are willing to work on ACHIEVABLE goals, and, even if they have their disagreements, respect each other and, in most cases, like each other. You can have two PhD.s in psychology from Ivy League schools and still be a rotten therapist. You can be as gay as a picnic basket and still be an ineffective therapist for gay folks. So, it is not really that important what a therapist did in his/her former life as long as he/she is willing to enter into the inner world of the client and attempt to discern what goals the client wants to achieve, and has the skills to design a strategy for CHANGE. Believing that therapy is more art than science, I would avoid blanket statements about who makes a good therapist - and would not rule in or out someone who worked in adult entertainment. A more relevant question would be: which therapist would be most effective for this particular client, at this particular time, and for this specific problem? And that varies over time and circumstance. I would advise, however, that if a client is contracting with a therapist because the therapist was previously an adult entertainer, it is very possible that there might be boundary crossings and possible boundary violations by either the therapist or client. Therapy is about making changes (in thoughts, behaviors, beliefs) and anything that interferes with that mission is inappropriate and not productive.

[+ robear]

In the internet age, fact is that if you've done commercial porn, future employers, clients etc. are likely to know about it. Or discover it. That's a given, and I think it serves anyone to be upfront about it, so there is no discovery to be made. In the scenario of a gay/bi/etc male client and male therapist, as mentioned above, it really depends on the work the client seeks and whether he feels that a sexualized view of the therapist would interfere in that work. ('Cause you KNOW he's gonna find that porn.)

 

I saw a therapist for several years who in the course of our sessions shared a bit of his own experience with casual sex, bathhouses and all that. It was relevant to the conversation. If that had extended to my seeing video of his behavior, I don't think it would bother me or change our relationship. But that was him and me and the specific work we were doing.

[alageorge]

Wouldn't bother me. I've been in several therapeutic relationships with strippers and escorts.

[JustScott]

I don’t know. Lots of people change careers and as long as the therapist was effective, it seems like it shouldn’t make a difference if they were previously a sex worker, a chef, a truck driver or a schoolteacher.

 

Seems like the “issue” is whatever stigma or taboo there is about sex work, which, surely, the therapist would be aware of, sensitive to, and prepared to deal with if it came up. I certainly wouldn’t lead with it and, as a client, it wouldn’t matter to me (although I’m not everyone).

[ChrisWydeman]

The best predictor of a positive therapeutic outcome is the therapeutic relationship. Translated: the most effective therapy occurs when the client and the therapist trust each other, are willing to work on ACHIEVABLE goals, and, even if they have their disagreements, respect each other and, in most cases, like each other. You can have two PhD.s in psychology from Ivy League schools and still be a rotten therapist. You can be as gay as a picnic basket and still be an ineffective therapist for gay folks. So, it is not really that important what a therapist did in his/her former life as long as he/she is willing to enter into the inner world of the client and attempt to discern what goals the client wants to achieve, and has the skills to design a strategy for CHANGE. Believing that therapy is more art than science, I would avoid blanket statements about who makes a good therapist - and would not rule in or out someone who worked in adult entertainment. A more relevant question would be: which therapist would be most effective for this particular client, at this particular time, and for this specific problem? And that varies over time and circumstance. I would advise, however, that if a client is contracting with a therapist because the therapist was previously an adult entertainer, it is very possible that there might be boundary crossings and possible boundary violations by either the therapist or client. Therapy is about making changes (in thoughts, behaviors, beliefs) and anything that interferes with that mission is inappropriate and not productive.

I think one of the super powers of escorts and folks that work in adult entertainment is experience navigating complex emotional dynamics this being one possible example. If there is anything an escort should be good at its rapport building. As for boundary violations I wonder what is the purpose of reaching out? Is it for help because they feel that provider has a unique insight they might have or is there some underlying maladaptive behavior thats causing a client to transgress boundaries and self sabotage?

 

This is a complex topic, your client may not be aware going into therapy that their provider has a background in adult entertainment and later finds out through porn hub. The client may be aware going into their first session that their therapist worked in adult entertainment. What I was getting at with my initial post how as prospective clients of therapist that might work in adult entertainment how folks feel about that past. For the sake of this discussion let's assume the therapist is competent and has the skills to navigate these situations.

[mike carey]

The key thing from my perspective, and which I infer from Chris' comments above, is the insight that a former* sex worker has from that experience. If it gives them insight that is a plus, any therapist who lacks insight is likely to be unsuccessful.

 

* I suspect a lot of sex workers have that sort of insight and bring it to the bed where they meet you, if you're open to receiving it in that setting.

[+ sync]

I'm okay with it.

[marylander1940]

Only for sex...

 

Rough and ready,

 

Kipp

 

The discrimination that those who did porno face later in life is not funny... specially considering we only know they did porno because someone saw but he won't be judge for having watched pornography.

[+ LIguy]

What I am getting at is, if lets say Rocco Steel became a therapist would knowing he had done sex work effect your comfortably in seeing him a therapy client?

No If he went and got a degree I would not care. I used to do volunteer work as a crisis counselor and many volunteers were going for degrees in the psych field and believe me there is a fine line between counselor and client though many of the nuttier ones were excellent therapists.

[+ carlos45]

I'd have no issue with it.

[Daverwr]

I wouldn’t have any problems with their prior employment. In fact, it might be beneficial if any of my “issues” are sexually related. Now as far as boundaries... be sure I’d look into my porn sources to find the analyst’s prior work. This way I don’t have to keep guessing what’s underneath the clothing!

[JayCeeKy]

there is a fine line between counselor and client though many of the nuttier ones were excellent therapists.

Good point. There was actually a study conducted many years ago in which researchers surveyed ex-patients who had recently been discharged from mental hospitals. They asked these former patients to rate which group of hospital workers had been the most therapeutic for them during their hospital stay: the psychiatrists, the nursing staff, the social workers, or the volunteer workers who dropped by once a week (mostly college students who didn't get paid)? The overwhelming verdict was that the unpaid volunteers had provided the most understanding, the best support, listened rather than gave out advice, and, in the long run, had been the most therapeutic for them during their hospital stay. Says something about academic degrees and "professionalism" in the art of healing. I've always thought that a really good friend is worth two therapists (and I'm a former therapist!).

[AceHardware]

I think we're not a representative group of society here since we are fine with a hobby that others are uncomfortable with. That said, I think if I walked into a therapy session and recognized he was a famous but retired porn star, it would be awkward at first, just like meeting a TV or movie star, but once we got into the session, I'd probably forget about it. Put another way: I wouldn't refuse to see them or walk out on the 1st encounter.

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

I think several folks change careers all the time. Actors sell real estate, bankers become carpenters, musicians support themselves by preparing tax returns, Magic Johnson owned some Starbucks stores, and my former porn-crush Blake Harper is a nurse.

 

I rarely care about a person's unrelated career; I focus on his qualifications for the services I'm seeking.

[LookingAround]

Not sure why that would be relevant.

[AceHardware]

With this topic raised, I wonder how Carlo Masi's gay university students are able to sit through his math lectures and not think about having sex with him. I'd be drooling over his asymptotes.

[Guest]

Although I wouldn't have any issue myself, bear in mind that the people answering in this forum are a rather select group of men (mostly) not necessarily representative of the public at large. I heard of a porn star who was fired from a job at Subway because a customer complained. Now, me, I'd be making a bee line for that Subway store with the hopes of hitting on him. I lusted for this dude who had a lot of modeling pictures on the net, and when I found out he worked at a local diner, I went there multiple times to see if I could ogle him. I never saw him there and gave up after four tries. Had he been working, I'd have sat down and ordered something.