Sex Therapy

Have You Come Up Against Obstacles To A Fulfilling Sex Life?

Do you have questions about your sexual identity? Are you looking to explore new erotic or intimate territory with your significant other? Or do you struggle with challenges related to your sexual health?

You may be experiencing doubts, questions, or limitations when it comes to your sexual identity. Perhaps you and your partner have differing wants and needs in the bedroom. Or maybe you’re curious about opening your relationship up and becoming polyamorous. 

It’s possible that your sexual functioning has changed over time, and you are now struggling with aspects of anxiety and grief when it comes to performing. Maybe a medical issue has caused a decrease in your desire, or perhaps you struggle with vaginismus (vaginal pain during sexual intercourse) or erectile dysfunction. If this is the case, you may become stressed or worried about the idea of being intimate, disappointed that sex is no longer as enjoyable or comfortable as it once was. 

When drive and desire between partners differ, it can create tension in the relationship. It’s entirely possible that you and your partner no longer experience the same passion and satisfaction as you once did. And as a result, you may be looking for support in navigating a path forward. 

At Pandora’s Awakening, you can work with a sex therapist who will honor your unique needs and desires within the relationship. And whether you identify as gay or straight, monogamous or poly, trans or cis, white or Person of Color (POC), therapy can help you identify and reach your goals for your sex life. 

Our Culture Has Made Sex A Complicated Issue

Although many of us understand that we are sexual beings, many are taught to neglect and ignore versusnurture this part of our humanity. We aren’t given a ton of vocabulary or direction to express or understand how our sexuality changes over time. Gender and sexuality exist on a spectrum after all, and what drives our passion or desire at one point may alter greatly throughout our sexual journey.

It doesn’t help, either, that the media and our culture have adopted a complex and sometimes shameful view of sexuality. For instance, images of women’s cleavage as a point of desire are common and accepted, but a mother who is breastfeeding in public is balked at. 

Moreover, many of us grew up in strict or religious environments where our bodies and sex lives were surveilled, censored, or shamed for one reason or another. As a result, we may feel uncomfortable with, embarrassed by, or confused about our sexual needs, further complicating the relationship we have with ourselves and our partners. 

And for those of us who are people of color, society has not given us many opportunities to fully appreciate or understand our bodies. Sex is often portrayed through a lens of whiteness, not valuing our bodies in a way that allows us to fully honor our desires and sexual function. 

But at Pandora’s Awakening, our sex therapists will work with you to decolonize the negative scripts that you have been subjected to when it comes to your understanding of yourself and your body. Sex therapy—including for people of color in particular—can help you to navigate and resolve issues of sexual intimacy. 

Sex Therapy Gives You A Chance To Better Understand Yourself And Your Body

Like most of us, you may have developed negative associations with your body and sexuality throughout your adulthood. Yet sex therapy can normalize your experience and give you the necessary tools for overcoming obstacles to your passion, intimacy, and sexual fulfillment. And if you struggle with medical issues, including vaginismus or erectile dysfunction, counseling can help you to better understand what you need in order to feel satisfied on your sexual journey.  

At Pandora’s Awakening, we see both individuals and couples for sex counseling. Beginning with a brief consultation, we will work to determine the presenting issues in your sex life and match you with the therapist that is best suited to help you overcome challenges. As we go through the intake process (spanning over a few sessions), your therapist will be able to develop a treatment plan geared toward your needs as an individual or couple.

Throughout your time in sex therapy, you will be invited to delve into your history as a sexual being. This includes examining the possible trauma and grief that have impacted your relationship with yourself and your body. And whether you’re participating as an individual or a couple, counseling provides a great opportunity to learn more about how your and your partner’s desires were shaped and the kinds of challenges that you both may face when it comes to issues of sexual intimacy. 

Moreover, your therapist will work with you to help you unlearn the negative or counterproductive education you’ve received when it comes to understanding your body. In doing so, therapy can help you develop a critical awareness of the emotional aspects of intimacy, as well as the tools for processing the relational, psychosexual, and mental elements of your sexuality. 

Our approach to sex therapy often involves mindfulness techniques and tools that revolve around a deeper awareness of the sensations occurring in your body. And while sex therapy sessions are customized to meet the needs of each individual or couple, we are likely to draw from frameworks developed by such renowned sex and relationship therapists as Masters and Johnson, The Kinsey Institute, Helen Kaplan, Esther Perel, and Emily Nagoski. These experts have pioneered the field of sex therapy and offer a new, nonbinary, and radically accepting way of exploring sex, intimacy, and the body. 

With the right support, it’s possible to have a satisfying and pleasurable sex life. No matter if your intimacy issues stem from physical discomfort, emotional distress, or cultural limitations, with therapy at Pandora’s Awakening, you can achieve a more satisfying and intimate sex life. 

Perhaps you’re interested in counseling for your sex life, but you have some questions… 

Is there nudity or any form of obscenity in sex therapy?

Sex therapy is meant to be a profound mental and emotional exploration of your sexuality. As such, counseling is not a workshop or instruction in the physical act of sex, but rather an opportunity to overcome the various obstacles that have caused you to feel unsatisfied in the bedroom. We will certainly make space to discuss specific organs, acts, and physical sensations, but there is no nudity—nor is sex therapy intended to be obscene, uncomfortable, or profane.

Do you offer sex counseling for couples? 

Absolutely. In fact, if you are partnered, we would prefer that you attend sex therapy as a couple or group (for those in polyamorous relationships). That way, everyone can benefit from the perspective of a sex therapist as you learn more about your sexual needs both as individuals and as a couple/group. 

Is sex therapy a good place to explore BDSM or other kinks?

If you are curious about introducing something new and exciting into your sex life, therapy is a great chance to explore that possibility. All of our therapists are professional and sex-positive clinicians who can help you better understand your desires, including desires within the context of a kink or BDSM. We welcome all sexual appetites and varieties! 

You Can Develop A Sense Of Ownership Over Your Body And Desires

If you are struggling with issues of sexual intimacy or desire, therapy at Pandora’s Awakening can help you chart a path forward in your sex life. To schedule a 15-minute consultation or to learn more about how we can help, please fill out this form.