Sex Therapy vs. Marriage Counseling: Which One Do You Need?
As much as two people love each other, no relationship is perfect. Every married couple (yes, every single one) faces challenges and has to work
to maintain their connection. When that connection is in rocky terrain, two of the most commonly sought after solutions are sex therapy and marriage counseling.
Choosing the right therapeutic service for you and your partner can be a bit confusing and many couples may miss the mark on which is best for their particular situation. Lots of couples believe that couples counseling is the only option, and don’t even consider sex therapy.
Before I list some factors to help guide your decision, let’s break down the definitions of sex therapy and couples counseling, so you’re clear on the differences between the two.
What is Sex Therapy?
Sex therapy is a specialized form of talk therapy that’s designed to help individuals and couples achieve greater sexual satisfaction and/or address any issues that might inhibit sexual satisfaction and function. This might include erectile dysfunction, sexual pain, performance anxiety, or low libido. Sex therapy can also help address infidelity, discrepancies in sexual preferences, and each partner’s general perspective towards sex. Oh, and sex therapy is also great for couples who are trying to regain that spice in the bedroom after having a baby!
What is Marriage Counseling?
Marriage counseling addresses a broader range of issues to enhance the quality and dynamics of a romantic relationship. It’s designed to help couples understand each other on a deeper level by addressing issues related to communication, conflicting values, emotional disconnection and/or trust.
How to Choose the Right Option for Your Needs
The right therapeutic service for you and your partner depends on the underlying issue at hand as well as the couple themselves. Is the problem specifically related to sex and intimacy, or is the problem more about communication or emotional distance?
Let’s say a couple is having issues with trust following an incident with infidelity. Though repairing trust is usually associated with marriage counseling, the motivating factor behind the incident may be related to the couple’s sexual connection, or the guilty partner’s sexual preferences. In this case, sex therapy might be the more effective solution, since it can address the physical and emotional disconnections at play.
Is the Underlying Issue Sexual?
It’s not uncommon for couples to experience problems after stressful or tragic life events. Marriage counseling might be the more appropriate solution if this life event isn’t related to sex, like a career change, or the loss of a loved one. Sex therapy may be more appropriate when this life event is specifically inhibiting your ability to perform sexually or experience sexual pleasure, like an injury or a health condition.
Is the Sexual Issue Attributed to One Partner?
You don’t have to be in a relationship to have problems with pornography addiction, body image issues, or sexual trauma. Sex therapy is more appropriate when the underlying issue is sexual and rooted in one partner, not the relationship. Unlike marriage counseling, sex therapy is designed to treat individuals as well as couples.
Are You Happy Outside of Your Sex Life?
Aside from sex, are you and your partner happy together? Marriage counseling is usually advised for couples that disagree on a wide range of topics, not just sexual needs or physical acts of intimacy.
Sex therapy makes more sense when one or both partners want to please each other physically but are having trouble doing so. In other words, this is the main aspect of the relationship where there’s a disconnect. Sex therapy helps couples navigate these differences and learn more about each other’s needs so they can form a compromise, and neither partner feels neglected.
If you’re interested in learning more about sex therapy, let’s connect. As a board-certified sex therapist, I can answer any questions you may have and describe what to expect in your first session. When you and your partner are ready, get in touch for your FREE consultation.