Doctor George Turner

Dr. George Turner’s research is focused on reducing health disparities by advancing sexual health equity in areas such as sexual justice, LGBTQIA2S issues, disability, and sexuality education. As a social worker, George has a demonstrated clinical expertise as a psychotherapist with over fifteen years in private practice specializing in sex therapy.

Dr. Turner is a disability and sexuality scholar who values interdisciplinary collaboration including partnering with local communities in participatory research. His research is focused on reducing health disparities by advancing sexual health equity, framed by an interest in how systems of privilege impact the intersection of race, class, ability, gender, and sexual orientation within sexual health. Through an exploration of voice, his goal is to use storytelling to illuminate the lived experiences of disenfranchised groups and expose meaning where little or none existed. Dr. Turner uses mixed methods approaches to investigate cross-cultural understandings, practice implications, and policy development regarding sexual well-being and sexual justice. As a researcher-practitioner, George’s body of research is organized around 3 areas of inquiry:

1.  increasing the understanding of stress, trauma, resilience among LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities, specifically recognizing how a pathologizing sex negativity can be used to silence, shame and segregate;

2. understanding how people experience their bodies and sexual lives; thus helping people have deeper more meaningful physical and intimate relationships; and

3.impact teaching pedagogy, policies, programs, and clinical practices through the use of a sexuall wellness informed practice lens in order to enhance the sexual health of individuals, families and communities.

As a educator, Dr. Turner employs experiential learning to maximize student development. George mentors learners to become helping professionals who are skilled advocates, practitioner and researchers for disenfranchised communities. Teaching must be grounded in a competency based curriculum that produces measurable outcomes and should be a mutually enriching journey that is respectful, affirming, challenging and interactive. George is a first-in-family/ first generation college student, thus he strives to honor students' unique perspective and provide a learning environment that values a student’s voice. More importantly, Dr. Turner aims to facilitate an atmosphere which recognizes divergent learning styles and provides opportunities to promote student success.

Prior to coming to WSU, Dr. Turner was an Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare (2013-16), and a visiting lecturer at Washburn University (2012-13) in the social work department. George has taught both undergraduate and graduate units including: Human Sexuality, Practice, Multicultural Practice, Psychopathology, Sexual Trauma, and Psychopathology. A certified sex therapist (AASECT), Dr. Turner operated a thriving private practice in Kansas City, MO. USA for fifteen years specializing in sexual health, personal wellness, and relationship enhancement. This and his background in non-profit administration inform his teaching best practices in direct clinical services. Dr. Turner routinely provided sexuality consultations to Kansas City hospitals including: Children’s Mercy, St. Luke’s, and KU Med speaking to their psychiatry, OBGYN and urology departments on topics such as intersexuality, female sexual pain, and taking a sexual history. Additionally, George was a frequent speaker at non-profits such as PFLAG, the MS Society, KU Cancer Center, as well as graduate psychology and counselling programs.

This information has been contributed by Doctor Turner.