Sex therapy is therapy that focuses specifically on sexual concerns. Some of the sex therapy issues I treat in my practice include difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection, delayed or premature ejaculation, difficulty reaching orgasm, unexplained pain during sex, and a decrease in sexual desire or pleasure. Sometimes these issues can arise due to trauma, depression, anxiety, hormonal changes, aging, or medications. I can help you pinpoint the source of the problem and work towards a solution. Sometimes people come individually for sex therapy issues and sometimes they bring in their partner(s).
What does sex therapy look like?
Sex therapy can look like regular psychotherapy, but it includes my taking a thorough sexual history, including your solo and partnered sexual experiences that may include unwanted sexual contact you have had or are having. I will be interested in when the issue became a problem. I will provide educational readings and illustrations to help you understand your (and your partner’s) sexual anatomy and sexual response cycle. Sometimes people have difficulty identifying, accepting, or communicating to another person their core erotic themes, so I’ll take time to help you explore these parts of you.
If you’re on medication, or living with a disability or chronic pain, we may discuss strategies to improve how you relate sexually. If you or your partners are transgender, you may experience changes in desire, sensation, and preferred activities that may require some adjustments.
Nearly always, I will assign homework exercises that might be solo or may include a partner, and you will return and report back on how the exercises went. And often there are other psychological and emotional issues that come up that are related to your thoughts and feelings about sex, so we will discuss those together.
Sex therapy does not include physical touch between me as a therapist and you as the client. There may be times, however, when I feel it is important that you get blood work or a physical exam by a medical professional, and we will discuss that. What sex therapy does entail is my creating a safe, comfortable, and collaborative space for us to speak about what is troubling you.