What is sex therapy and why might I need it?
Sex counseling is a specialized form of therapy that focuses on particular sexual concerns you may have. Your therapist is still a trained psychotherapist but has additional training in sex therapy to help you even more. You may decide you need sex therapy if the reason you are coming to therapy has at least a piece of it rooted in sexuality. This does not need to be the entire reason you want to try therapy – but even if it’s part of it you can feel confident that your therapist has the skills and training to help you.
Sexual Concerns You May Want to Address in Sex Therapy:
Mismatched Desire/Low Desire
This happens when one partner wants sexual intimacy more often than the other. This can happen for many reasons: life transitions, mental health reasons like depression, anxiety, or PTSD, lack of connection with your spouse overall, and more. It is also important to note that it is difficult to match up desire levels perfectly in any relationship. This is very normal. It is also normal to have desire fall away in a long term relationship. Our sexual relationship is like anything else in our life that is important to us – we have to continue to pay attention to it and work on it if we want it to continue to be satisfying and healthy.
Sexless Marriage
A general definition of a sexless marriage is having sex 10 times per year or less. You may know exactly why you aren’t having sex or you may have no clue. We can help you figure out why this is happening and get you on a path to having the frequency and type of sex you’d like to have in your relationship.
Sexual Dysfunction
You might have a very specific sexual dysfunction or sexual difficulty that you need help with. This can include:
- erectile dysfunction
- performance issues
- premature ejaculation
- delayed ejaculation
- orgasm difficulties
- …and more
We are trained to help you with specific behavioral interventions to get rid of this problem.
Sexual Pain
It is not normal for sex to hurt. This can cause avoidance of sex, lack of connection, and feeling bad about yourself. Sexual pain often requires a team of professionals to treat it in the most efficient way. We recommend making an appointment with your OB/GYN and a pelvic floor physical therapist. We can absolutely talk you through why these professionals are necessary for treatment and give referrals if you’d like. Pelvic pain often has two components: the medical side and the emotional pain side. We want to make sure that the medical side is taken care of so that we can help you with the emotional side of things.
Gender/Sexuality Health Services
We are happy to help you explore the topic of sexuality or gender and how it is currently impacting your life. We can also help with letters to doctors that may be required for gender affirmation treatment.
What to Expect in Sex Counseling at Radiant Living Therapy
Professional & Trained Therapists
The therapists that provide sex therapy at Radiant Living Therapy all have specialized training in couples and sex therapy. We will approach whatever you come in with professionally and without judgment.
A Plan of Action to Improve Your Sex Life
When intimacy isn’t working in your marriage you can start to feel a little desperate and want a plan now. We will create a plan that works for you and gives you hope that your problem is workable. This will likely include specific homework to work on outside of sessions. We often tell clients to reflect on the goals they’ve had in the past. Your goal might have been to get to lose weight, eat healthier or get that promotion. You might have wanted to have a better relationship with your child, family, etc. None of these things just “happen” by simply wanting them to. You need to make an intentional plan that will work for the specific goal at hand.
Take the eating healthier example: You wouldn’t just “hope” to eat better. You would buy healthier foods at the grocery store. Start to meal prep. Finally, you’d do some research or reading on a healthy diet for your specific goals and lifestyle. We help you do this exact thing with your sex life.
Sex Therapists at Radiant Living Therapy
Isabel Meyer-Mueller, MS
Nicole Cardarella-Gasper, MA LPCC
James Chadwick, MSW LISCW
Sophia “Sophie” Pimsler, MA LMFT
Eric Anfinson, MS LMFT
Makenzie McMahon, MS LMFT
Amanda Holmberg, MS LMFT
The latest from the Radiant Living Therapy blog:
- The Way You See Yourself Matters: Body Image and Sexual Functioning
- A Beginner’s Guide to Sex Toys
- Is Your Sex Life Good Enough?
Begin Sex Therapy in Plymouth, MN and Online in Minnesota
Beginning sex therapy with one of our caring therapists is easy. We offer in person sessions at our Plymouth, MN counseling office or online therapy sessions if you are anywhere in the state of Minnesota. So, get the help you need to improve your relationship with sex today. To get started, follow these simple steps:
- Schedule a free consultation
- Meet with a caring marriage and family therapist
- Begin a more confident and comfortable sex life, today
Other Counseling Services at Radiant Living Therapy
Often, relationships and fertility problems have many layers. We know these issues are complex. You are a whole person and therefore, you may need help in more than one area of your life. Therefore, at our Plymouth, MN counseling office, our professional therapists also offer individual therapy, counseling for teens, EMDR for trauma therapy, infertility counseling, postpartum and maternal mental health, counseling for men, counseling for therapists & other helping professionals, therapy for couples & marriage counseling and more. Let us enhance your life in a meaningful and comprehensive way. Additionally, we offer supervision for therapists. No matter the need, we look forward to connecting with you!