Sex therapy can help you if you're experiencing difficulties in your love life and can help you to improve physical intimacy. Lots of people have a problem with sex at some point in their lives. Some people can help themselves. For others, sexual problems can cause a lot of distress and unhappiness. Talking about and exploring your experiences will help you get a better understanding of what is happening and the reasons.
Whether you're single, married or in a relationship (with one or several partners), gay, lesbian, trans, straight, non-binary or however you may identify, sex therapy can help you to improve your sex life and to overcome any specific sexual dysfunctions. Sex therapy is like any type of psychotherapy. You treat the condition by talking through your experiences, worries, and feelings.
The secret of keeping your sex life fresh, even in a long-term relationship, is communication and making sure that you spend time together. While this may seem obvious, many of us hit problems with our sex lives because they are rarely together in the same place. No wonder intimacy is lost! Sex can be a fulfilling and important part of our lives, of course not all of us need sexual fulfillment to enjoy a happy life. Click on the images to enlarge the text.
If you have a sexual problem, it's a good idea to see a GP first as they can check for any physical causes. The GP can refer you to therapist if they think it will help you, or you can self refer. If your quality of life and emotional health are greatly affected by a potential sexual dysfunction, it's a good idea to see a therapist. Likewise, if a lack of intimacy or difficulty communicating with a partner is your primary personal concern, a therapist is the place to start.
A fulfilling sex life can be vital to your health for many reasons. Physical and emotional elements of a healthy sex life have far-reaching benefits, including lower blood pressure, better heart health, and stress reduction. Sex is also just a natural, fun part of life. However, for some people, sex is a source of great anxiety, worry and shame. Sexual dysfunction can lead to relationship complications, loss of confidence, and many other negative effects.
Sex therapy is an integrative approach to treating and eliminating underlying physical and psychological challenges such as low circulation, anxiety, stress, and confidence issues. Sex therapy can help individuals and couples/others find a way to have open, honest communication so that they can work through any concerns or challenges toward a healthy, happy sex life.
In the safety of therapy, patients are able to open up about their sexual experiences. This all too often reveals shame lurking beneath the surface. For some people, it's close to the surface, and for others, it's buried deep within them.
Shame flourishes when it's kept in the dark. But shame tends to diminish when it is brought into the open. Whether you came upon sexual shame via religious programming, sexual abuse, manipulative ex-lovers who damaged your self-esteem, or any other reason, sexual shame is a common and an unfortunate byproduct of being raised in a world with a lot of harmful and unhealthy views on sex and sexuality.
Talking openly about our sex lives should be a normal experience, though we understand that this can be both difficult and emotional for some people. As therapists we hold no judgement or embarrassment for you or ourselves - we have these conversations everyday. Studies have shown that talking about your sexual issues with a professional encourages good mental health...and a happier sex life.
If you feel you need support to talk about your sex life then get in touch. All therapy is highly confidential, and no conversation is off limits. You can get in touch with the clinic by calling 02921 203 103 or email help@andygarland.co.uk
