Quote from Shirley MacLaine
Sex therapy is a psycho therapeutic treatment approach that addresses sexual health and sexual functioning. Sex therapy can help individuals and couples for various sexual concerns like:
· Low sexual desire or no sexual desire
· Differences in sexual desire with a couple
· Difficulty achieving orgasm
· Pain associated with sexual intercourse
· Difficulty achieving and maintaining an erection
· A change in sexual functioning due to injury or illness
· Sexual intimacy after childbirth
· Out of control sexual behavior
Sex therapists also work with individuals and couples who want to improve the overall quality of his/her/their sex life and are looking to expand and enhance their sexual repertoire. Sex therapists are social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists. A governing board oversees its members ensuring strict standards for certification and supervision—the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). For more information, visit AASECT’s website, www.aasect.org.
Why sex therapy? Can’t my current therapist address my sexual issues?
A referral to a sex therapist is indicated when an individual or couple experiences distress related to their overall sexual functioning. If an individual has experienced a change that impacts their normal sexual functioning, such as being diagnosed with a chronic illness, or someone who has served in the armed forces who has become disabled, referral to a sex therapist is appropriate to assist the individual/family in learning about available options to establish a new “normal” of sexual functioning. Individuals who are considering a gender transition or sex reassignment surgery may benefit from consulting a sex therapist.
Common Sexual Myths:
· Sex is not sex without intercourse
· Masturbation can cause health problems
· Men always want sex
· Women are no longer interested in sex after menopause
· Older adults don’t have to practice safe sex
· People who live with disabilities or are diagnosed with a chronic disease are not sexual
Ethical Practice:
Sex therapy is a form of talk therapy. At no time is there any physical contact between the therapist and client