Psychosexual Therapy is a specialist therapeutic intervention that helps individuals and couples address their sexual concerns in a safe and contained context.
While the approach is largely based around proven CBT techniques, the therapist also uses an Integrated approach to help people explore, understand and work on their sexual goals. Specific issues are addressed by the application of a Psycho-Social-Biological model which uses aspects of Psychodynamic, Systemic, Sensorimotor and Humanistic theory to facilitate key changes.
Clients can receive help for a wide range of sexual issues, such as Premature/Delayed Ejaculation; Erectile Dysfunction; Vaginismus; Loss of Desire/Interest; Pain on Intercourse; along with Orgasmic Concerns for both men and women. In fact anyone experiencing any significant disturbance in their ability to respond sexually or to experience sexual pleasure is especially suited to PST.
Prospective clients need to be aware that the therapy is a highly structured approach with a very specific sexual focus, which means participants will be talking about sex and using sexual terms which some might find quite challenging. In addition, a commitment to the whole program is crucial. This involves both a time and a financial commitment for the process to work effectively.
More about the process:
Initial Assessment
Before starting the therapist will need conduct an initial consultation to assess whether PST is the most appropriate approach for their concerns and goals. If it is appropriate to progress they will then take a detailed history from participants, which is a two-hour question and answer session. For couples, this means they have to do a two-hour session each. This information is essential to the construction of a full Formulation of the issues to be worked upon, which is vital to clarifying the specific problem to be worked upon, the goals of the treatment, through understanding why it is happening to you, why now and what’s maintaining the problem. Only after gathering this vital information, and discussing it with the clients in detail, can a final decision be made about the most appropriate approach to resolving the problem. If PST is not likely to be effective then Emma will sign post them to other more appropriate services.
For the procedure to be effective, clients will need to have had as many as six hours of assessment before they fully start the program.
Treatment Phase
After the assessment stage clients will be expected to engage in the treatment phase and will need to set aside three hours a week, every two weeks, to complete home based tasks. These are sensual at first, then progress onto having more of a sexual focus. They ‘report’ back, then they are set new tasks. Clients need to be reassured that at no point will they be required to do anything of a sexual nature in the room, and that everything of this nature is conducted in the privacy of their own homes. Our therapist’s work is underpinned by COSRTs Code of Ethics and Practice, which has very strict guidelines on these issues.
While the above schedule seems to have a very clinical focus, the therapist adopts a very reflexive stance in their work and takes great care to foster an accepting atmosphere to enable clients to feel relaxed enough to embark on these tasks and make progress towards achieving these key sexual goals. Rather than being cold and clinical she will try and demonstrate the importance of being comfortable and excited about your sexual discoveries and that this enthusiasm is a key component of the therapy. As this enthusiasm blossoms it will enable clients to learn vital sexual skills and develop healthier sexual attitudes in general. One of the key goals of this specialised form of therapy is to help participants realise that sex is not about their physical functioning – of achieving an erection say – but that sexual intimacy is about having fun. That the ultimate aim of the process is to arrive at a deeper understanding of the way you and your partner’s sexuality functions, and that the physical side is merely a secondary part of this functioning.
If you are interested in finding out more about PST, please contact the service to discuss things further or book an initial appointment.