Sherman Oaks Therapy & Wellness offers sex therapy to both individuals and couples who are having concerns with sexual functioning, decreased sexual connection, pleasure, or other sexual challenges that are disrupting intimate relationships. Sex therapy can also include couples therapy, where relationship issues, affairs, communication issues and difficulty with conflict resolution may also be addressed. Pleasurable sex and emotional intimacy are important for all individuals and couples that are in a sexual and erotic relationships.
What Is a Sex Therapy?
Sex therapy is a type of talk therapy that utilizes a biopsychosocial model to address medical, psychological, emotional, personal, and/or interpersonal factors that may be impacting sexual satisfaction. During sex therapy sessions, clients and therapist will discuss any experiences, emotions, and/or maladaptive thought patterns that may contribute to the client’s sexual dissatisfaction and concerns in order to move towards an empowered, pleasurable, and fulfilling sex life.
We are innately sexual beings. Our sexuality is part of the pulsating energy of the life force, which we express through mind, body, and psyche.
Harville Hendrix, Ph.D.
Common Concerns Addressed in Sex Therapy
Topics addressed with individuals and couples:
- Unsatisfactory sex life
- Communicating sexual wants and needs
- Erectile issues
- Low libido
- Lack of interest
- Premature ejaculation
- Low confidence
- Lack of response to sexual stimulus
- Orgasm concerns
- Pain during sex
- Excessive libido
- Compulsive sexual behaviors
- Negative impact of sex life in other aspects life (i.e. work, and/or mental health)
- Effects of past trauma on sex life
Stressors That Can Trigger or Exacerbate Sexual Issues
- Aging/perimenopause/menopause
- Anxiety
- Change in sexual partner(s)
- Childbirth/child-rearing
- Depression
- Disability/illness/medical issues
- Divorce
- First sexual experience
- History of sex-negativity or shame around sex
- History of trauma, sexual or otherwise
- Lack of education/information about healthy sexual practices
- Marriage/cohabitation
- STIs
- Stressful job requirements or job loss
Additional Topics Addressed in Sessions with Couples
- Infidelity and affairs
- Conflict, arguing, and other communication issues
- Other relationship issues
- Open marriage negotiation
- Behavior change requests
- Parenting and second marriage
- Compatibility differences in libido
- Conflicting or differing sexual needs, wants, or fantasies in partners
- Sexual communication and negotiation
Reclaiming pleasure—and taking steps toward a healthy sex life—requires you to amplify and enhance your voice and choice through an intricate dance of self-realization and communication. Asking for what you want and declaring what you don’t want is a prerequisite to pursuing deeper intimacy and better sex.
Dr. Holly Richmond
How We Work
Sex therapy typically takes form in either individual or couples therapy sessions. As with all therapy sessions, the initial session with be an intake session, where the therapist will utilize a biopsychosocial assessment to identify the individual/couples’ history (general and sexual history) and current problems/concerns. Treatment planning occurs collaboratively with the therapist and clients, where goals for treatment will be identified. Psychoeducation is utilized to provide clients with information about sexual issues and any factors that will either help or exacerbate the issues. Sessions will also utilize and integrate interventions from multiple modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness-based techniques, Imago Relationship Therapy, Gottman Method, and Sensate Focus.
It is important to know that sex therapy never includes hands-on or intrusive medical procedures. It also never involves physical or inappropriate contact between the client and the therapist, whether in the therapist’s office, via telehealth/virtual interactions, or anywhere else. Clients will never be asked to take clothes off or do anything sexual with or in front of the therapist. Although there may be homework/take-home exercises for practice in the privacy of the client’s home, there is never physical sexual coaching or exercises during the therapy sessions.
Goals of Sex Therapy
- Improve clients’ overall relationship with sex and pleasure
- Learn and utilize coping mechanisms to help clients build a more satisfying sex life and resolve sexual difficulties
- Gain a realistic understanding of sex and pleasure
- Identify and address underlying individual and interpersonal stressors of sexual issues and lessen the impact they have on our clients’ lives and relationships
- Learn to effectively communicate with sexual partners to improve sexual pleasure
- Clients will grow and maintain a deeper sexual connection with themselves and their partners
- Improve communication between partners
- Increase emotional intimacy in relationships with partners