Sex therapy is a specialized treatment focusing on the resolution of sexual concerns. As in any other psychotherapy situation, talking is the mode of treatment. There are no sexual relations nor nudity in the sessions. The client talks explicitly about his/her problems, and with the help of the sex therapist, learns about the etiology of his/her concerns and explores various options to improve his/her sexual life.
Sex therapy is based on the assumptions that sex is good, that relationships should be meaningful, that interpersonal intimacy is a desirable goal, and that men and women have equal rights to full expression and enjoyment of healthy sexual relationships.
Sexuality is an integral part of a person’s well being. An individual bothered by his/her sexual functioning may feel unhappy, inadequate, anxious, angry, etc. For many people, sexual functioning is closely tied in with their total concept of self identity.
On the other hand, sexual concerns are often the result of other problems. In fact, many times the sexual concern is a symptom of something else that is going on in the client’s life/relationship. Sex is effected by many things going on in a person's life: a bad relationship, low self esteem, past experiences, depression, anxiety, health issues, medications, family issues, money issues etc. Due to the many factors that contribute to sexual functioning, the sex therapist needs to examine other areas of the person’s life to determine what is the underlying issue or issues. In many cases, therapy then focuses on the underlying issue, which upon resolution, may improve the sexual concern.
Sex therapy usually involves both partners when there is a committed relationship. Even if it seems that the sexual problem is brought about by one of the partners, it is helpful if both partners take responsibility for improving the situation. It is also imperative to work (through therapy) on the couple’s communication skills, since most people find it very difficult to talk about sex and even other relationship issues. If you can’t talk about things that bother you with your partner, prognosis does not look good. In situations where both partners cannot (or are unwilling to) come to therapy together, the sex therapist works with the one partner on an individual basis.
There are many sexual concerns that motivate people to seek the help of a sex therapist. Among them are:
- Sexual Desire~either too high or too low
- Erection Difficulties
- Premature Ejaculation
- Orgasm Difficulties
- Painful Intercourse
- Issues of Sexual Abuse
- Sexual Addiction
- Sexual Orientation Issues
- Paraphilias ~ Sexual Deviations
- Relationship Issues
- Medical Illness
- Medications, Chemotherapy or Radiation Treatments
More about Sex Therapy
My work focuses on helping people have great relationships with healthy sex lives. I work with men, women and couples on sexual or relationship concerns
Sex Therapy is a unique and specialized type of professional counseling which focuses on helping people address their concerns about sex. This includes issues such as:
Possible Causes of Low Desire
I am a Certified Sex Therapist through AASECT. A qualified and certified sex therapist is a professional who is a highly trained and experienced psychotherapist, is licensed by the state as a psychotherapist, and is certified by the American Association for Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) as a sex therapist. AASECT ( www.aasect.org ) has high standards for training in and work experience with sexual concerns and marital and relationship issues.