Top 5 myths and facts about Sex Therapy in Philadelphia, PA

Ever wonder what’s it like to work with a sex therapist?

What do you discuss? What’s the process like? It can be tough enough finding a therapist you like, let alone one you like with a sex therapy specialty. And if you’re anything like the rest of us, finding the right fit therapist is really important so you can feel comfortable and start making moves ASAP.

Let’s bust some myths today so you can learn more FACTS about sex therapy and decide if it’s right for you.

5 common myths and facts about sex therapy:

Myth #1: You have to be having sex to benefit from sex therapy.

This is such a common myth. I get questions often about how this process can work for someone if they’re not having sex, in a relationship (see myth #5), etc. However, sex doesn’t have to be present to work on your relationship with sex.

FACT #1: You can benefit from sex therapy even if you’re not sexually active right now.

Things like desire, sex drive, libido, and more affect the enjoyment you may feel (or lack) during sex, so there’s plenty to talk about, even if you’re not currently having sex. Sex therapy includes learning about your sexual side, what impacts this, and how to have a better relationship with it. It starts with your relationship with sex, and that’s present regardless of if you’re having sex or not. Sex therapy can be effective if you’re having sex, and if you’re not, as long as you’re willing to commit to the process, be open to learning, and get in better touch with your desire, sex drive, and sexual response. Bonus fact- depending on what’s going on, there’s a good chance a sex therapist may suggest taking a break from sex while you work on the anxiety, fear, stress, etc. it’s causing. This is so you can decrease the pressure you feel, make sense of your feelings, and shift your behaviors to better set you up for sexual success.

Myth #2: You only talk about sex during sex therapy.

Sometimes people want to talk about sex AND they want to talk about other things. Since it’s sex therapy, sometimes people think that means we only talk about sex, right? WRONG!

FACT #2: You talk about everything during sex therapy.

Yes, you’re going to talk about sex, and that’s going to be awesome. But you’re also going to cover a bunch of other topics because it’s all connected. You may have already noticed that focusing only on the sex isn’t helping you have better sex. This is because there are other areas impacting you. Stressed at work? Disconnected in your relationships? Not sleeping well? All these things impact your desire, sex drive, and sexual response and a sex therapist will help you see how all these areas interact so you can explore what would be helpful to shift to give you maximum bedroom benefits.

Myth #3: You’ll have sex in front of the sex therapist.

Just having sex in the title of sex therapy leads people to think there’s sex happening, right then and there. Some people worry their sex therapist will ask them to have sex in the therapy room. They think, “We’re talking about sex and how else will they know what’s going on so they can help?”

FACT #3: NO! No sex will be happening in the room with your sex therapist.

Have no fear, you will not be having sex in front of your therapist. Ever. And if that’s something they ask, get the hell out of there and let someone know. There are many other ways they’ll get a sense of what’s been occurring for you, mainly with lots of questions and discussions. They can get a pretty good understanding of what’s going on if you’re open, honest, and tell them what you’ve been thinking, feeling, and experiencing with your desire and sex drive. And going through the process of verbalizing this to a sex therapist will help you process and organize your thoughts. The insights and ideas you get in sessions you get to take home and use in the bedroom (again, not in the office!).

Myth #4: Sex therapy is only for people who have a serious problem with sex.

Sometimes people think sex therapy is only for people with serious sexual dysfunction or who have experienced sexual trauma. While it can be super helpful for those experiencing these, many others can benefit from these services as well.

FACT #4: Sex therapy is for anyone who wants to have a better relationship with their desire, sex drive, libido, and experience better sex.

Sex therapy includes a wide range of services, focusing on things such as desire, sex drive, libido, sexual response, confidence, pleasure, connection, and more! You don’t have to have a difficult relationship with sex to benefit from these services. Some people simply seek out sex therapy because they’re feeling bored, unexcited, or just kind of blah about sex and they want to learn more about why this is happening and how to get some fire back in their desire. Others have had negative experiences and want to reconnect with their bodies and feel more sexually empowered. Whatever the reason, if people want to have better sex, increase sex drive, understand their desire, and feel more connected to their bodies (and partners), sex therapy can help.

Myth #5: Sex therapy is only for couples.

Typically, when people think about sex, they think about two (or more) people being involved. Thinking about benefitting from sex therapy as an individual service can be confusing and some people wonder if it can work.

FACT #5: Sex therapy is for anyone who wants to have better sex, regardless of relationship status.

Just like with busting the myth about needing to be sexually active, you don’t need to be in a relationship to benefit from sex therapy. It CAN be super helpful for couples with different desires and sex drives, or who want to reconnect, communicate during, and have better sex lives. AND it can be helpful for individuals who want to learn more about their desire, sex drive, sexual response, understand the mind/body connection better, and manage stressors/anxiety/etc. around sex. Since we tend to think of sex as a partnered activity, it’s easy to overlook that solo sex is an awesome way you can explore and get to know your sexy side better (remember, this sex won’t happen IN the room- see fact #3). Sex therapy is all about learning more about your sexual self, exploring this in a way that works for you, and feeling more comfortable by yourself and/or with a partner during sex. Bonus fact- getting to know yourself in the bedroom first helps set you up to have an easier time communicating, directing, and exploring with partners, and individual sex therapy can help with all these!

Free sex therapy intro call in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I hope this helps bust some myths so you can find the right sex therapist for you in Philadelphia, PA, and benefit from these awesome services. If you’re still wondering if sex therapy is right for you, or have more myths that need busting, click here to schedule a free 15 min phone chat. I’d love to hear your thoughts and help you figure out if this process is right for you. If you’re looking for individual sex therapy in Philadelphia or couples therapy in Philadelphia, click these links to learn more about how I can help. You can also check out some other common FAQs about sex therapy here.

My specialties include low desire, differential desires, low libido, sexual communication, managing sexual stress and pressure, and increasing connection.