What is a Sex Therapist?
Sex therapy is a type of talk therapy that’s designed to help people and couples achieve greater sexual satisfaction as well as address any issues like sexual trauma, pain during intercourse, erectile dysfunction, or address relationship struggles like infidelity and more. These sessions are led by a sex therapist. They can be a social worker, medical doctor or psychologist but the important thing is that they’re trained in sexual health and problems.
What does a sex therapist do?
Sex therapists create a safe and non-judgmental environment to work through sexual problems. They tend to use talk therapy (also known as psychotherapy) which involves creating a talking relationship to assess your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.
If you’re worried about working with a sex therapist, I understand. Talking about these concerns can be difficult to open up or even embarrassing to address, in ways that we aren’t used to doing.
It’s important to note that sex therapists don’t treat physical or medical conditions. Things like low testosterone or gynecological problems should be handled by a medical professional. As a sex therapist, I will always refer physical ailments to a medical professional when needed.
When to see a sex therapist
Sex isn’t just limited to one physical thing or act. It impacts our emotional and mental well-being as well. If there are issues with our emotions or mental state, that could affect how we connect with our sexual partners.
Sex therapy is about assessing the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors that could be affecting your sex life. The mental and emotional aspects a sex therapist could help with include:
- Lack of desire
- Lack of arousal
- Difficulty having an orgasm
- Pain during sex, such as vaginismus
- Difficulty getting or keeping erection
- Premature ejaculation
Sex therapists can also do more than just address sexual issues. They can also help you with:
- Sexual trauma
- Sex education / misinformation
- Feelings of anxiety, shame, or fear
- Gender identity and sexual orientation issues
- Cultural, social, or religious views on sex
- Mismatched sexual desire in partners
- Body image issues
- Coping with STIs
- Hypersexual disorder (sex addiction)
- Pornography addiction
What to expect during a sex therapy session
During a session, you and your sex therapist work together to identify the thoughts and feelings that may be impacting your sex life. You may be asked about your
- Sex life
- Health and sexual background
- Beliefs about sex
- Sexual concerns
From these and the conversation with your therapist, they may assign you homework assignments. Things like activities or exercises for you to try within the privacy of your own home.
If you’re curious to learn more about sex therapy, give me a call to schedule your FREE consultation. With offices in Austin, Texas – I offer both in-person and virtual sessions in the area. I also offer virtual sessions throughout Texas and the state of Florida.
I’d love to have a conversation with you,
Gabriela