Let’s talk about sex! What is sex therapy?
We know many people are probably wondering this. Sex therapy offers help with sexual concerns by educating, using talk therapy, offering homework exercises and other resources/referrals for further exploration for either individuals or couples.
What does it look like?
Sex therapy is an ongoing conversation between client and therapist; there is no personal touching in the office. People often come to sex therapy because something is not going well in their sexual lives, such as an inability to get or maintain an erection during sex, or painful intercourse, for example. For most adults, sex is a big part of a healthy life and these issues can be very distressing. The client and therapist discuss what isn’t working and what the client desires from their sex life. Since there are many biological factors involved in sexuality, it is recommended that the individual get a physical exam from their GP or OB/GYN to rule out any medical conditions first.
After the client and therapist together define the problem and the goal, often, then the first job is to educate. The therapist is knowledgeable and can explain what the range of normal behavior might be and assist in looking at the reality of the client’s expectations. The therapist can then, from there, explore underlying causes of the issue with talk therapy and perhaps homework exercises.
Since sex never occurs in a vacuum, the therapist will also want to explore with whom and/or under what circumstances sex generally does occur for this person and what about that is not ideal. Whether a person consults alone or with a partner, the therapist might want to know what’s going on in the relationship, dynamics and feelings around sex and intimacy, how their partner(s) see the circumstances and whether the people involved have the same view of the situation and share the same goal. Anxiety, shame and resentment, for example, are not a friend of sex and/or intimacy. Through working through what may be happening in your relationship, this can also help you to better understand and work through what is causing the sexual issues.
What can sex therapy help address?
- Pain during intercourse
- Difficulties with arousal/orgasm
- Premature ejaculation
- Issues with intimacy/desire
- Out of control sexual behaviours
Some strategies used during sex therapy:
- Communication exercises with your partner
- Mindfulness or sensate focused techniques to help focus on what you’re sensing during intimate encounters
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques to address anxiety and or worry around sexual experiences and relax tensions/muscles
Take the first step to get your sex life back on track, click here to book a Free 20 Minute Consultation with our sex therapist today.
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