What Is Sex Therapy? Why do people have sex therapy?

A sex therapist helps people with sexual problems. Sex therapists are qualified counsellors, doctors or healthcare professionals who have done extra training in helping people with problems relating to sex.

Sex therapy is a form of counselling intended to help individuals and couples resolve sexual difficulties, such as performance anxiety or relationship problems. Patients generally meet in the therapist’s Clinic. Some choose to attend sessions alone, others bring their partner with them. Session frequency and length usually depend on the patient and the type of problem being addressed.

It’s normal for patients to feel anxious when seeing a sex therapist/sexologist, especially for the first time. Many people have trouble talking about sex at all, so discussing it with a stranger may feel awkward. However, most sex therapists/sexologists recognize this and try to make their patients feel comfortable. Often, they start with questions about the patients health and sexual background, sex education, beliefs about sex, and the patients specific sexual concerns.

It’s important to know that sex therapy sessions do not involve any physical contact or sexual activity among patients and therapist/sexologist.

Why Do People Have Sex Therapy?

Lots of people have a problem with sex at some point in their life. Some people can help themselves. For others, sexual problems can cause a lot of distress and unhappiness.

A sex therapist/Sexologist can help people with various sexual problems, including:

•  Lack of desire
•  Difficulty having an orgasm
•  Pain during sex or inability to have penetrative sex
•  Difficulty getting or keeping an erection (erectile dysfunction)
•  Premature ejaculation or other ejaculation problems

What Actually Happens In Sex Therapy?

A sex therapist/sexologist will listen to you describe your problems and assess whether the cause is likely to be psychological, physical or a combination of the two. Each therapy session is confidential. You can see a sex therapist/Sexologist by yourself, but if your problem affects your partner as well, it may be better for you both to attend.

Talking about and exploring your experiences will help you get a better understanding of what is happening and the reasons. Sessions usually last for 30 to 50 minutes. The therapist may advise you to have weekly sessions or to see them less frequently, such as once a month.

Benefits Of Sex Therapy

Working with a sex therapist/sexologist can improve your life, relationships, body confidence, sexual satisfaction and much more.

“Most importantly,” sex therapy can help individuals and/or couples cultivate more confidence in their sexual identity and expression so they can live a more sexually fulfilling life.

1.  Enhance and rejuvenate your marriage or relationship.
2.  Pain with sexual touch
3.  Feeling disconnected when engaging sexually with a partner
4.  Processing past sexual trauma in one’s current relationship
5.  Building trust and safety
6.  Discomfort with fantasies
7.  Frustration achieving orgasm – alone, and/or with others
8.  Motivation to explore new ways of expressing desire
9.  Reconnecting with sexuality after major life events
10.  Exploration of lifestyle that feels authentic to sexual preference
11.  Sexuality in the context of infertility
12.  Ways to foster intimacy in long term relationships
13.  A lack of sexual desire for one’s partner or low libido
14.  Erectile dysfunction
15.  Premature ejaculation
16.  Undesired or out-of-control sexual behaviour with partners or alone