Why A Sex Therapist Rather Than Other Type Therapist?

By Dr. Arlene Krieger, PhD in Marriage and Relationships on May 20th, 2008

-->

by Dr. Arlene Krieger, PhD

I will begin with expressing when and/or why you may need a sex therapist and what to expect in sex therapy, and what sex therapists can accomplish in your life. Initially, it is important to understand that we as human beings don’t exist in a unilateral world. We are almost always in relationship with one or another persons. Whether it be work or personal life, there is a systemic flow to who you are and how you interact in the world around you. In your relationship the issues of sex, intimacy, love, career, health and life in general all add up to who you are as a couple.

Sexologists like to break down these individual issues and isolate the actual sexual issues from the relationship factors. It is a complex issue, for sure, to separate the two, but that’s precisely what your sex therapist tries to do. In better understanding sequences of behavior and patterns of interaction in your relationship, therapy helps you to gain clarity on who you are and what you expect from your mate. Your relationship and sex life are in fact dependent upon one another.

Fixing a relationship doesn’t necessarily mean the sex life automatically becomes healthy, though it can at times. There is a method behind the madness of therapy and sex therapy. We do not perform magic, though at times it can seem so. It is work, and hard work on everyone’s part. The original therapeutic models for sex therapy go back more than three decades to the pioneering sexologists.

Premature ejaculation, erectile disorder, performance anxiety, orgasmic dysfunctions, low libido, and lack of desire are all issues of which a trained sexologist is familiar and can offer therapy and often a remedy. Often couples report that they have simply “fallen out of love.”

Sexologists do not simply do couples counseling for married adults. We are trained in a variety of sexual dynamics, lifestyles and complaints. If one has difficulties finding the properr therapy fit, their family doctor can make a referral.

Most sex therapists devote much time and energy researching their profession, long after college, in order to gain an understanding of human sexuality and human behaviors as times change. The training and coursework is very specific to sexuality issues. In choosing a therapist of your choice, make sure that the clinician you choose, has received both a proper education, as well as clinical supervision from a university that offers a state qualified graduate program including human sexuality.

About the Author:

Blog with America’s 2nd Favorite Sexologist