Sex therapy: what is it and what are its benefits

Psychologists who are experts in sex therapy They deal daily with patients who come to their consultations for different reasons: erectile dysfunction, lack of desire or excitement, difficulties reaching orgasm, premature ejaculation... These problems, many times, not only affect the person who suffers them, but also her partner.

But talking about sexual problems can be difficult, in large part because people in this situation they may feel ashamed, guilty, unsuccessful, and defeated both in life and in the face of Your partners. Fortunately, sex therapy can help overcome these problems, the suffering they cause, and in turn improve well-being.

But...What does this form of therapy really involve? What are its benefits? In this article that we present today we are going to expose the characteristics of this type of therapy and the reasons why it is advisable to go to sex therapy.

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What is sex therapy?

Sex therapy is a type of psychotherapy that can help people who are experiencing difficulties with their sexual and love life because they suffer from a sexual disorder or are not comfortable with their physical intimacy.

Sexual dysfunctions, gender identity issues, paraphilias (exhibitionism, voyeurism, etc.), conflicts regarding sexual orientation and even problems derived from sexual abuse, are some of the topics that are addressed in psychotherapeutic sessions.

Sexual disorders or limitations can be multi-causal and many factors may be involved in maintaining the problem. This is why professionals who work with sexual problems deal with psychological or mixed causes (that is, with psychological and organic elements), which often causes the intervention to solve these types of difficulties requires multidisciplinary work, involving psychologists, gynecologists, pelvic floor physiotherapists, among others specialists. The therapeutic process can last from two to three months to several years, although the latter is rare.

The impact of sexual problems on the couple

Sex therapy is often associated with couples therapy, since this type of problem can affect both members of the couple when they occur within the relationship. And it is that intimate moments with the couple play a very important role in their unity and stability and influence the emotional health of their members.

Sex makes both partners feel a unique connection, but when that fails, the foundations that sustain the affective relationship can be destabilized. Sometimes, the couple can attend psychotherapy sessions together when the problem affects both of them.

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When to go to sex therapy

According to recent research, approximately 20% of men are dissatisfied with their sex life and only 30% of women say they are. However, only a third of affected people seek psychological help despite the fact that the benefits of sex therapy are more than proven.

The most frequent reasons to go to sex therapy are:

• Lack of sexual desire.
• Difficulty getting or maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction) or ejaculation. precocious in the case of men.
• Difficulty having an orgasm.
• Pain during sex or the inability to have penetrative sex.
• Fear or aversion to sex.
• Sexual assaults or abuse.
• Lack of sexual skills.
• Sexual disinterest or problems derived from the monotony of the couple.
• Sex addiction.
• Gender dysphoria.
• Paraphilias.

It is necessary to emphasize that it is not essential to have serious problems to go to this type of therapy, as sex therapy can also be useful to treat other issues. For example: to vary and enrich the couple's erotic repertoire or to develop social skills in the field of sexuality. At the beginning of sex therapy, each individual case is always carefully evaluated to determine the most appropriate treatment.

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