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Due to the absence of literature available to mental health professionals, the level of treatment being provided to the Orthodox Jewish population has become significantly compromised. It was found that the majority of traditional sex therapy treatment interventions are incongruent with Orthodox Jewish laws. The divergence between the tenets of Orthodox Judaism regarding appropriate sexual practices and traditional sex therapy treatment interventions, have resulted in a large number of Orthodox Jewish individuals failing to receive necessary treatment. One of Dr. Itkin´s key objectives for this book was to increase the level of cultural awareness of mental health providers regarding the Orthodox Jewish religion, in efforts of integrating their client´s religious beliefs into the treatment process. The hope is that there will be a larger number of Orthodox Jewish individuals seeking the necessary mental health treatment that they need, and a greater likelihood that they will achieve successful treatment outcomes.

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Dr. Itkin is a first generation American, born to a Ukrainian-Jewish family who immigrated to the U.S. due to religious oppression. Since childhood, she was fascinated with studying human behavior. As a graduate student, she became interested in studying how cultural factors impacted pathology and beliefs held about seeking mental health treatment.

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