Who can benefit from Psychosexual Counselling?
Psychosexual Counselling can help individuals of all ages, sexual orientation and health. Some people may be single and not actively having sex, but can still benefit from seeing a sex therapist if something is troubling them. Couples - whether married, cohabiting or living separately - can receive treatment together, but some individuals may prefer to see a therapist on their own.
Generally though, psychosexual therapy is considered more effective if clients in relationships attend sessions together. This is because sexual problems will typically impact both partners equally - even if they are only physically affecting one individual. Psychosexual therapy empowers couples to deal with their sexual problems, better express their sexual needs and wants, and broaden their choices of sensual and sexual expression.
Individuals living with long term sexual problems are often too ashamed and embarrassed to discuss their concerns with anyone - not even their partner - and this can take a toll on their sex life, relationship and well-being.
Could your Sex life be better?
Do you have problems in the bedroom?
Are you currently experiencing any sexual difficulties or problems in your relationship?
Some of the issues as a Psychosexual / Sex Therapist I will be able to help with include:
What is Psychosexual Therapy?
If a couple were to come to a psychosexual therapist they would typically be asked to engage in a behavioural programme aimed to increase physical and emotional intimacy. The first step of this programme is that penetrative sex is off the menu and the couple are asked to carry out a gentle touching exercise. The focus here is on sensuality and the purpose of a sex and genital touching ban is that this reduces performance pressure and allows the couple to just be together without thinking about ‘what next’. The therapist would normally ask for the exercises to be carried out 2-3 times per week and they are approximately an hour in length. Psychosexual therapy therefore would be difficult for couples currently in a long distance relationship or for couples who feel it is impossible to have 3 hours a week of interrupted time together. However it is worth considering that the impossibility of spending time together is likely to be the issue in itself. Couples often find that by working together to find the time for the exercises their sense of intimacy increases because they are both prioritising the relationship in a way that they might not have done for a long time. The behavioural programme that the couple will work through is called the Sensate Programme and it would be tailored to their needs with their therapist. This programme is not goal orientated it is simply about increasing intimacy and it will have techniques for managing particular dysfunctions worked into it.
Inevitably this behavioural programme will stir up emotions; some couples find the exercises surprisingly moving and are shocked by the intensity of feeling that they stir up while others might struggle to even do the exercises, whatever emotions occur as a result of the programme can be thought about within the therapy.