Psychosexual therapy

What is psychosexual therapy?

Psychosexual therapy is a specialised therapeutic technique. It is used specifically for those who are experiencing problems of a psychological, sexual nature. Sexual difficulties are very common and can have many causes. Their origins may be:

• Physical (the effect of illness, accident, surgery, disability or medications)
• Psychological (due to anxiety, depression or other mental health problems)
• Emotional (for example, unresolved grief, or unhappiness due to other problems in the relationship)
• Situational (they only happen under certain circumstances, such as when your in-laws are staying!)
• A combination of several of these factors.

How does psychosexual therapy work?

Sex therapy can help adults of all ages, whether heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian or gay; single people and couples who are married, cohabiting or living separately; people living with chronic illness or disability, and those who are otherwise healthy.

What are the benefits?

Initially the patient will have an assessment, which may be carried out over a few sessions and these involve taking a detailed history of the problem and how it is affecting your relationship and/or your life. Your therapist will also be interested in other aspects of your life, both now and in the past. For example, he/she is likely to be interested in how your family or work/life balance is affecting your sex life, and will probably ask about your early sex education.

If appropriate, he/she may refer you for specific diagnostic tests, such as blood tests or scans. At the end of the assessment, your therapist will tell you about a range of treatment packages, tailored to your particular needs. These might include physical treatments, ongoing psychosexual therapy, or both.  Once the patients treatment path has been determined, the appropriate treatment course will be discussed and administered.