Sex+Therapy

Brittany Rasky Sex Therapy

**What is it?** Sex therapy is a specialized form of psychotherapy that focuses on issues regarding human sexuality. Sex therapy can be used to address concerns surrounding sexual arousal, performance, and satisfaction (ie reaching an orgasm). Sex therapy has also been found to help people who’ve experienced sexual trauma, have medical conditions that cause sex to be painful, are confused about their gender/sexual identity, and/or whom have sexual addictions (AASECT, 2004).

** Sex Therapists ** A certified sex therapist is a mental health professional who has earned his or her licensing or certification via a national psychotherapy organization, such as the American Association of Sexuality Educators Counselors & Therapists (ASSECT). Sex therapists can be psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, etc or other mental health professionals that want to get licensed. These mental health professionals have the background and knowledge to address any sexual concerns, while also putting the individual or couple into the overall context of their mental health. Sex therapists utilize the P-LI-SS-IT model of Sex Counseling in order to identify sexual issues and help their clients (AASECT, 2004).

In order for a sex therapist to be successful and effective, they must also have a clear knowledge and understanding of the male and female reproductive anatomy, the sexual response cycle, and how the impact of significant life events (such as ageing) can affect sexuality. It is also important for a sex therapist to have a general understanding of their client’s mental and physical health, their use of drugs and alcohol, as well as any past traumatic events that might interfere with sexuality, such as being a victim of sexual violence. There are lots of different factors that can negatively affect a sex life, and it is part of a sex therapist’s role to pinpoint these things in order to fix sexual dysfunction (Ridley, 2009).

** History of Sex Therapy ** Despite the fact that sex therapy has become widely accepted by thepublic(ie //Meet the Fockers)// it is still a relatively new and somewhat controversial field (Binik & Meana, 2009). According to Binik & Meana (2009),Masters and Johnson first coined the term “sex therapy” in 1958 where they had plans to explore a psychotherapy method that acknowledged human sexual dysfunction. In 1970, the research team introduced the book //Human Sexual Inadequacy,// which officially laid the groundwork for sex therapy. Nowadays, sexual dysfunctions are featured in the //Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR)// whichassists sex therapists and other mental healthprofessionals in diagnosing and treating male and female sexual difficulties(Ridley, 2009).

Sex therapy remains a controversial field because there is no unifying theory, no unifying mode of delivery, nor a defined technique behind sex therapy (Binik & Meana, 2009). Sex therapists often borrow practices and psychotherapeutic ideas from all forms of therapy, and they also go about their interventions in many different ways. Some may utilize techniques from cognitive-behavioral based therapy, some from interpersonal therapy, and others from emotional-based therapy. This lack of unification may be due to sex therapy still being new, or the fact that it is difficult to justify sexually related issues as only being solved in one particular way since every individual and couple is different and responds to sex therapy in different ways (Binik & Meana, 2009).

** Why is it important? ** Sex therapy is important because the role of sex plays a significant role within a relationship, and if it goes ignored, a couple’s conflict is unlikely to get better. When a couple is not having sexual difficulties, the role of sexual intercourse only contributes to 15-20% of relationship satisfaction. However, when sexual difficulties and conflict do exist within a couple’s relationship, the role of sexual intercourse can contribute to 50%-70% of relationship satisfaction (McCarthy & McDonald, 2009). Since sexual dysfunction can play such a large role in relationship satisfaction, utilizing sex therapy in a counseling session can help alleviate couple’s conflict. According to Johnson & Zuccarini (2010), sexual problems within a relationship can intensify other formsof conflict the couple may be experiencing. Therapists often find that sexual anxieties, conflicts, and deprivation are part of overall relationship distress.

For example, a case study done by Bulow (2009) acknowledged the effectiveness of incorporating sex and couple’s therapy. Bulow (2009) introduces Lenny and Debbie, a couple who has been married for 6 ½ years and has been unable to consummate their relationship. By integrating sex and couples therapy, Bulow was able to explore Lenny and Debbie’s relationship and release its inner problems. On the surface, Lenny and Debbie wanted to have a baby, but were in their late 40’s and time was ticking. But after many sessions, Bulow unlocked Lenny’s homoerotic fantasies and Debbie’s terrible self-image and poor self-esteem. She encouraged them to open up and be honest with each other, which eventually led to success in the bedroom (Bulow, 2009). Sexuality has not traditionally been a focus in couple’s therapy and without it therapists may neglect a significant piece of their client’s story (Bulow, 2009). With Lenny and Debbie, their relationship required work on both an emotional and physical level, suggesting that couple’s therapy may be at its strongest when aspects of couples therapy are incorporated as well.

**Becoming a Sex Therapist** Due to sex therapy being a rather new field, there are few graduate programs that allow for individuals to get their degrees in sex therapy. Rather, individuals become sex therapists by first becoming clinical psychologists, marri age and family therapists, social workers, etc and then becominglicensed in sex therapy. Since there are minimal legal restrictions and graduate programs that regulate who becomes (or calls themselves) sex therapists, the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT, www.aasect.org) was created to help regulated those who are properly licensed. AASECT encourages professionals from medicine, psychology, education, etc to join their organization in order to help regulate and set the professional standard for sex therapy (Binik & Meana, 2009).

AASECT was founded in 1967 with the goal to promote sexual health by providing professional education and c ertification of sexuality educators, counselors, and therapists. AASECT also encourages research related to sex therapy and sex education. By joining AASECT, sexuality professionals become certified in their desired field and can also join AASECT’s referral service (AASECT, 2004).

-- References AASECT. (2004). American Association of Sexuality Educators Counselors & Therapists. Retrieved April 10, 2011 from []. . Binik, Y. M., & Meana, M. (2009). The Future of Sex Therapy: Specialization or Marginalization?. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 38(6), 1016-1027. doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9475-9

Bulow, S. (2009). Integrating Sex and Couples Therapy: A Multifaceted Case History. Family Process, 48(3), 379-389. doi:10.1111/j.1545-5300.2009.01289.x.

Johnson, S., & Zuccarini, D. (2010). Integrating Sex and Attachment in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 36(4), 431-445. doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00155.x

McCarthy, B., & McDonald, D. (2009). Sex Therapy Failures: A Crucial, Yet Ignored, Issue. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 35(4), 320-329. doi:10.1080/0092623090285133

Ridley, J. (2009). What Every Sex Therapist Needs To Know. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 20(2/3), 95-111. doi:10.1080/08975350902967218