Sex therapy

Sexual Intimacy - Made Better with Sex Therapy

Many relationships struggle to maintain a satisfying sex life over time. We are surrounded by messages from pop culture, social media and the entertainment industry that paint pictures about sex that just aren’t true. We’ve all heard them:

• Men want sex all the time

• Women are always less interested in sex than men

• There is something wrong if you aren’t able to have sex spontaneously

• Your relationship is in trouble if you have to plan sex in your schedule

• Your sex life is over once you have kids

• You are too old to have sex

Sex therapy is an important form of psychotherapy and is a healthy way to address concerns regarding lack of sexual desire, decreased libido, mismatched needs, feelings of frustration, and loss of intimate connection. Some people even feel pain during sex and never share their pain with their partner because they wonder if something is wrong with them. Experiencing couples sex therapy with an experienced relationship therapist is a helpful, respectful way to grow closer to your partner while exploring all aspects of your relationship.

We understand you may anticipate feeling embarrassed or awkward discussing your sexual desires or frustrations with a therapist. For some, it does bring on feelings of anxiety. We want you to know it is normal to feel that way and you aren’t alone. Verbalizing these thoughts to your partner can be difficult, and sharing them with your therapist can seem intimidating. We know this, and that’s why our sex therapists focuses on ensuring you feel comfortable and supported through the whole process.

As experts in relationships, sex and sexuality, our therapists recognize that sex is a very personal part of you, and of your relationship(s). Therefore, we work at a pace that is comfortable for you and for your partner(s). Every therapist in our practice is skilled in facilitating open communication between partners so you can create a healthy, happy sex life. We are LGBTQIA+ affirming and support all relationships.

It is important to work with a therapist who is highly trained, and very experienced, as a couples therapist AND in sex therapy.

Jessie Briegel, LMFT is a Certified Emotionally Focused Therapist AND fully trained in sex therapy. She is the clinical director of IRTC’s Sex Therapy division. She is truly gifted in her ability to identify the root cause of distress or discomfort while also gently paving the path towards healing and growth.

Frequent Concerns Regarding Sex

Lack of frequency and initiation of sex are two regular concerns that arise between couples. Sexual dissatisfaction is often the result of emotional disconnection and negative patterns of interaction. When partners don’t feel connected outside of sex, it becomes more difficult to feel interested in being close sexually. Additionally, experiencing challenges in your sexual relationship can overflow into other areas of your relationship(s), causing loss of confidence or concern for your relationship overall. We know how to help you with this.

You aren’t alone in your quest for a healthy and satisfying sexual relationship. Relationships of all types and people of all ages struggle with the same questions.

When works for us?

How often do you want to connect sexually?

Why don’t we have sex as often as we used to?

Couples with children also often struggle with balancing life in and out of the bedroom.

When can we find time to be intimate?

Can sex still be a priority?

Do we have to schedule sex?

Older couples may find issues with their sex life following bodily changes from menopause and male health issues like erectile dysfunction.

How can we improve our libidos?

What does the bedroom look like after my body changes?

It is important to know that we first explore your romantic relationship before we focus on your sexual relationship.

We know that emotional safety plays a big role in our ability to be playful and open to arousal so it is important to spend some time getting to know the non-sexual ways you connect, support each other and even experience conflict. Our couples sex therapists know how to connect these parts of your relationship to your desire for more sexual connection.

Therefore, when you meet with one of our relationship therapists for sex therapy, we will begin by first understanding your relationship, your history and how you interact in life in general. We will explore your emotional connection and help you create patterns of interaction that create the safety needed for sex to be fun and fulfilling. We will then guide you through an exploration of the concerns you are experiencing regarding your sex life, offer educational information where appropriate and identify the blocks that have been getting in your way of a strong sexual connection. We will help you renew pleasurable parts of your sexual connection you’ve lost sight of, or creating a wonderful sex life together that is new and fulfilling for both of you. Our goal when working with you using sex therapy is to help your relationship overcome the obstacles that are preventing you from enjoying playful, rewarding sex.

How Can Sex Therapy Help You?

Our team of sex therapists is here to listen to your concerns and want to understand your uniquely special relationship. After learning about both of you, and how you interact in your relationship, we will begin to explore ways you feel close to one another, and situations that cause distance and discomfort. We will explore how past experiences may influence your current dynamic around sex. Together, we will explore your love relationship and your sexual relationship to see how they work together.

We are experienced in helping couples overcome many challenges in their relationship that involve sexual intimacy. Some of these are:

• Discrepancies in sexual desire or arousal

• Concerns about differing sexual interests or sexual orientation

• Impulsive or compulsive sexual behavior

• Erectile functioning concerns

• Difficulty with sexual arousal

• Intimacy issues related to a disability or chronic condition

• Healing from difficult past sexual experiences

• Disagreements regarding pornography

We strongly believe sexual healing between partners can happen, but it starts with two important steps.

Ready to get started with sex therapy?

Book your first session now.