Sex work is a deeply misunderstood profession, often viewed through a lens of moral judgment, pathologization, or cultural taboo. Even in...

Mental health professionals must not only be clinically competent—they must be able to deliver care through a harm-reduction, sex-positive, and trauma-informed lens. Below are approaches shown to be effective when working with sex workers experiencing PTSD, mood disorders, substance use, and emotional burnout.

Sex work—whether legal or criminalized—exists within a complex sociocultural, legal, and psychological framework. In Nevada, where brothel-based sex work is legal in certain counties, workers operate with more formal protections than in many parts of the country. However, legality does not erase the stigma or negate the very real mental health risks that can come with this line of work.