Intimacy and Sex Therapy
Sex therapy is a specialized form of psychotherapy, which increases intimate connection and improves awareness of the impact of desire and arousal whether with a partner or self. Sex therapy builds on the foundation of talk therapy supporting individuals and couples in creating satisfying and intimate relationships. Nurture therapy adheres to the belief that sexual health is a part of good general health. Problems in sexual health are often related to psychological, environmental, hormonal, medical, physiological, social, and relational areas of functioning. Sex therapy is conducted by a trained mental health professional, like an AASECT-certified sex therapist. Our clinicians are highly trained in couples work, individual therapy, sexual functioning, and intimacy issues. Sex therapy is recommended for partnered folks, as partners can contribute to sexual challenges in unconscious ways.
Why Sex Therapy?
There are many reasons couples and individuals seek sex therapy. If you and a loved one experience anxiety that may result from dissatisfaction with physical intimacy or relationship problems that limit sexual desire, pleasure, and passionate exchanges with a partner, you may consider sex therapy.
For individuals, sex therapy can be instrumental in exploring sex and gender identity, coping with medical diagnoses that impact sexual health, and working through shame or sexual trauma.
Therapy can support individuals and partners through sexual dysfunctions, increase sexual pleasure, and improve the quality of the relationship. As well as help individuals better understand the influences that contribute to sexual self-esteem, sexual identity, communication, and beliefs about sex.
Factors contributing to sexual health:
* Reproductive Health
* Fertility and Intimacy
* Parenting and Changed Intimacy
* Health and Sex
* Sexual Healing
* Relationship Healing
* Sexual Identity
* Pain with sexual touch
* Feeling disconnected during sex with a partner
* Healing from past sexual trauma
* Building trust and safety
* Difficulty achieving orgasm
* Exploring new ways of sexual desire
* Reconnecting to sexuality
* Fostering intimacy in long-term relationships
* Low libido
* Erectile dysfunction and/or premature ejaculation
* Undesired sexual behavior
* Healing from infidelity
What to expect in sex therapy sessions
Comfortable Conversations engages in sex-positive approaches to intimacy. A first sex therapy session is remarkably similar to any other psychotherapy intake. Your provider will ask you questions about your sexual history, your general mental health, sexual orientation, and gender identity, your family relationships, any traumatic experiences or history, any physical or medical concerns that may be impacting your current issue, and if you are in a relationship, the course of your relationship, including what it is like outside of sex, your typical sexual habits, and how you show desire and affection, beyond sex. This helps the clinician understand the full picture of the client and engage in a treatment plan.
Sex therapy sessions may include building skills for pleasure and arousal as an individual and/or a couple, learning ways to manage anxiety, including performance anxiety around sex, improving communication with your partner that may be interfering with pleasure, education around anatomy, sexual functioning, desire, and pleasure, understanding the body-mind connection, addressing underlying mental health concerns. Similar to other types of therapy, sex therapy is customized to the unique needs of every client. It can involve insight-oriented work, educational components, and homework in between sessions.
As in all talk therapy, the goal of therapy is to explore the reasons that one has been experiencing difficulty and meet goals around sex and sexuality, in a non-judgmental and compassionate way. And of course, not all sex therapy sessions have to focus on sex. We understand that things outside of the sheets can come up and cause stressors for our clients.
When do I need professional help?
If you are not feeling sexual desire or enjoying your sex life, then sex therapy might be a good option for you. We understand it can be uncomfortable to start therapy or anything new. However, if you are feeling stuck therapy can help. Ask yourself these questions:
- Has an aspect of your sex life been consuming you?
- Are your emotional experiences around sex interfering with your ability to work, take care of yourself or your other children, or engage in basic self-care?
- Are you experiencing increased conflict around sex or sexual desire?
- Are you having difficulty reconnecting with your partner or yourself?
- Are you engaging in any other self-destructive acts?
How can therapy help me?
Therapy provides the space to help you get through your sadness and other intense feelings. As a therapist, we will guide you through this time in a way that feels safe and effective.
- Helping you to heal faster
- Regaining control of your emotions
- Improving your sex life
- Encouraging communication with your partner to support each through sexual needs and desires
- Ensuring that your relationship survives through understanding and unification
- Feeling like yourself again
- Promoting hope and confidence
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