Clinical Guidelines for Working with Clients Involved in Kink

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Table 1. Summary list of kink clinical practice guidelines.

Area 1: Foundational Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes (Guidelines 1–9) Guideline 1: Clinicians understand that kink is used as an umbrella term for a wide range of consensual erotic or intimate behaviors, fantasies, relationships, and identities. Guideline 2: Clinicians will be aware of their professional competence and scope of practice when working with clients who are exploring kink or who are kink-identified, and will consult, obtain supervision, and/or refer as appropriate to best serve their clients. Guideline 3: Clinicians understand that kink fantasies, interests, behaviors, relationships and/or identities, by themselves, do not indicate the presence of psychopathology, a mental disorder or the inability of individuals to control their behavior. Guideline 4: Clinicians understand that kink is not necessarily a response to trauma, including abuse. Guideline 5: Clinicians recognize that kink intersects with other identities in ways that may shape how kink is expressed and experienced. Guideline 6: Clinicians understand that kink may sometimes facilitate the exploration and expression of a range of gender, relationship, and sexuality interests and identities. Guideline 7: Clinicians recognize how stigma, discrimination, and violence directed at people involved in kink can affect their health and well-being. Guideline 8: Clinicians understand the centrality of consent and how it is managed in kink interactions and power-exchange relationships. Guideline 9: Clinicians understand that kink experiences can lead to healing, personal growth, and empowerment. Area 2: Life-Span Developmental Issues (Guidelines 10–13) Guideline 10: Clinicians consider how generational differences can influence kink behaviors and identities. Guideline 11: Clinicians understand that kink interests may be recognized at any age. Guideline 12: Clinicians understand that there is a wide variety of family structures among kink-identified individuals. Guideline 13: Clinicians do not assume that kink involvement has a negative effect on parenting. Area 3: Assessment and Interventions (Guidelines 14–19) Guideline 14: Clinicians do not assume that any concern arising in therapy is caused by kink. Guideline 15: Clinicians understand that reparative or conversion therapies are unethical. Similarly, clinicians avoid attempts to eradicate consensual kink behaviors and identities. Guideline 16: Clinicians understand that distress about kink may reflect internalized stigma, oppression, and negativity rather than evidence of a disorder. Guideline 17: Clinicians should evaluate their own biases, values, attitudes, and feelings about kink and address how those can affect their interactions with clients on an ongoing basis. Guideline 18: Clinicians understand that societal stereotypes about kink may affect the client’s presentation in treatment and the process of therapy. Guideline 19: Clinicians understand that intimate partner violence / domestic violence (IPV/DV) can co-exist with kink activities or relationships. Clinicians should ensure their assessments for IPV/DV are kink-informed. Area 4: Professional Education, Training and Community Care (Guidelines 20–23) Guideline 20: Clinicians strive to remain informed about the current scientific literature about kink and avoid misuse or misrepresentation of findings and methods. Guideline 21: Clinicians support the development of professional education and training on kink-related issues. Guideline 22: Clinicians make reasonable efforts to familiarize themselves with health, educational, and community resources relevant to clients who are exploring kink or who have a kink identity. Guideline 23: Clinicians support social change to reduce stigma regarding kink.