When you experience sexual issues, either as an individual or a couple, the impact on yourself or your relationship can be devastating. You might have reached a stalemate trying to understand or resolve sexual difficulties and cannot seem to find a way forward. Maybe you are struggling to communicate or find conversations dissolve into rows readily, or maybe feel silenced and unable to talk about what has been happening.
Considering psychosexual therapy can feel daunting and facing talking about your sex life can seem excruciating.
Many people refrain from speaking out about what is happening for them because they don’t want to hurt their partner, and many couples fear what they have to say will make a bad situation worse.
Typical issues covered are mismatched or changed or lost desire, sexuality, sexual anxiety perhaps trauma-related, orgasm difficulties, ejaculation or erection issues or problems with pain.
Psychosexual Therapy is offered by Lisa. She provides a safe and welcoming place to people of all genders, sexual orientations, backgrounds and relationship diversity to discuss their concerns.
Psychosexual therapy is a talking therapy, there are no sexual or intimate acts of any sort during the meetings, rather tasks and suggestions are agreed upon and carried out privately at your home. However, as this is a talking therapy many aspects of your sexual self can be explored and therefore this is not a solely task driven therapy.
The initial session will encourage you to talk about what has brought you to seek counselling and why now when you might have been struggling with difficulties over a long time.
During sessions, time is spent finding out how issues have developed and how it affects you. Talking about bodies/biology, targeted work on specific difficulties and myth-busting.
For couples it will provide time for both of your points of views to be heard. A picture of your overall relationship will start to emerge, what you were first attracted to in each other may be discussed and what you would like to achieve in couples counselling will start to become clear.
As the sessions progress the goals set by you both will be worked towards. What happens in the week between the sessions will be reviewed and discussed. Any difficulties with communication or conflict will be talked about to give greater understanding of what is happening in the relationship and help, and support is provided to allow you both to be more emotionally honest with each other and be able to engage with the really difficult bits.
Generally, you will notice when you are ready to leave counselling, with improvements in communication and goals may have been reached or you are ready to continue with the work yourselves. Most people leave realising they have learnt a lot about their partner, their relationship and themselves.
