If you think you need to be having major marital problems, severe sexual dysfunction, or a form of sexual trauma in order to attend sex therapy, think again. Sure, these things definitely warrant an appointment with a sex therapist, but you don’t need to be at wit’s end in order to benefit from sex therapy.
The truth is that everyone can benefit from sex therapy. Although it may be a daunting topic for some people to openly talk about, sex therapy can help you connect better not only to your partner, but to yourself.
Each person’s sexual experiences and preferences are a sum total of many psychological, biological, sociological, and relational factors. Sex therapy — a form of talk therapy — can help you get to the bottom of many different fears and issues you may have that you don’t necessarily relate to your sexuality.
Putting aside the therapy part of sex therapy, these sessions can actually be quite fun. If you go in with an open mind and heart, you’ll certainly benefit in a big way. Below are just some of the amazing benefits of sex therapy.
1. You’ll connect with your partner
Sex therapy is a time to put everything else aside and just focus on yourself and your partner. Your therapist will give you exercises intended to help you form a deeper bond. It doesn’t end when you walk out of the office, though. The time you take to recommit to one another in the therapist’s office will follow you home. You’ll probably also get homework to do, forcing the two of you to take time out of your busy daily routines to connect on an intimate level.
2. You’ll connect with and learn more about yourself
During sex therapy, you won’t only be focused on connecting with your partner. First and foremost, you’ll be encouraged to explore yourself. Your relationship with sexuality, your sexual fantasies and desires, what does and doesn’t turn you on. What makes you feel good — both emotionally and physically — are all important things to explore if you want to have a great sex life.
Once you start exploring these things, you’ll have a lot more joy and pleasure in your life. You’ll start to feel more confident. You’ll become assertive in turning down the things which do not bring you joy, and going after those that do.
3. You’ll learn how to better communicate with your partner about your sex life
There’s no question that connecting with your partner and with yourself will open up new lines of communication. After all, how do you intend to communicate your sexual wants and needs without identifying what they are first? And how can you possibly make a safe space for your partner to open up without first establishing a non-judgmental foundation?
Your therapist will help you work through any hurdles that may be holding you back from communicating openly and honestly with one another. Any hang-ups or feelings of embarrassment can be addressed and worked through. You’ll be given invaluable communication tools that you can use for the rest of your lives to help you talk through things in a healthy way.
4. You’ll have a safe space to talk about sexual issues if there are any
Problems related to sex, like sexual dysfunction for example, can be difficult to talk about. There are many reasons reasons a person may avoid discussing sexual problems, whether they’re trying to avoid upsetting their partner, they’re embarrassed about it, or they simply don’t know how to fix it. Luckily, that’s why sex therapy exists. The therapist’s office provides a neutral, non-judgmental space in which you can bring up issues that you would otherwise avoid discussing. There’s nothing you can say that will shock or surprise your sex therapist, so take the plunge and bring it up.
5. You’ll get fun homework
It only gets better once you leave your sex therapist’s office and go home with fun and exciting homework assignments. You’ll get tasks and exercises designed to reignite the flame and bring you and your partner closer together. You’ll discover new ways to explore intimacy with one another that you never would have thought of before.
6. You’ll try new things in the bedroom
Couples in long-term relationships often find that they settle into a comfortable and familiar pattern with one another. This stability also brings with it a certain monotony, and you may find yourself getting bored with the same old moves in the bedroom.
Sex therapy can help you explore new things so that you can get back to having exciting, steamy sex. It’ll also help you discover alternate forms of sexual expression that aren’t intercourse.
7. You’ll discover new things about your partner
You thought you knew everything about your partner — until you went to sex therapy together. You’d be surprised by how many thoughts, fantasies, experiences, and desires can go unmentioned when you don’t set aside the time to talk about them. Sex therapy offers a perfect platform for you and your partner to open up to one another. The new things you discover may spark new desires and bring the two of you closer together.
8. You’ll explore sexual fantasies
Everyone has sexual fantasies, but the majority of us don’t talk about them. Sharing sexual fantasies is an incredibly intimate and vulnerable thing to do. Many people may feel too embarrassed to ever open up to their partners about their fantasies. In sex therapy, you work to get to a place with one another that is free from judgment, and all about acceptance and making one another happy.
9. You’ll discover how normal you actually are
It’s almost too easy to get wrapped up in a narrative in which you feel that the challenges you face are insurmountable. Problems with intimacy and sex can feel very isolating, but once you share them with a sex therapist, you may be surprised to learn how common they actually are. It’s important to know that you’re not alone, and that problems you face in bedroom don’t make you different, they actually make you normal.
10. You’ll start to find pleasure in other parts of your life
A lot of the work done in sex therapy is about exploring and embracing the concept of pleasure. While this is very important when it comes to sex, it’s just as important in other areas of life as well. Once you become comfortable discussing and exploring ways in which you find pleasure, it will become second nature to find pleasure in everything you do.
In conclusion, there’s a lot to gain and nothing to lose from attending sex therapy. Consider making an appointment with a sex therapist in your area, and you’ll see what a big difference it can make on your life — both inside the bedroom and out.