Sex Therapy In Austin, TX

Many people experience sexual concerns at some point in their lives. Whether it be a pair of newlyweds who have sexual adjustment problems, or a couple with a family who are exhausted and unable to fulfill their sexual life. Sex is often a subject that is difficult to talk about between partners due to the taboo nature. Sex therapy can be a helpful step toward addressing these sensitive topics.

What Does A Sex Therapist Do?

Sex therapy allows couples to talk about sex with each other. Sexual health is an important part of our physical and emotional well being. Sex therapists work to understand sexual concerns more fully so they can be addressed, which may help with issues that interfere with sexual satisfaction. Sex therapists are aware of this taboo and work to make the intimate subject easier to discuss. This allows you and your partner to feel at ease and better talk about sex in order to understand your concerns.

Sex therapy gives the psychotherapist space to work with the couple on emotional issues that may be contributing to sexual concerns. These concerns may be addressed through mindfulness practices and by exploring what may be underneath them.

Common Concerns Discussed In Sex Therapy

There are a variety of concerns that are discussed in sex therapy, including:

Premature ejaculation in men
Erectile dysfunction
Delayed ejaculation
Forgoing the taboo nature of certain sex acts
Women who want to have their first orgasm
Porn addiction

Sex addiction
Boring sex life
Loss of attraction in their partner
Unable to be aroused
Fetishes
Inhibitions

Phase 1: History Taking

Before beginning EMDR, your trauma therapist will get to know more about your experiences and symptoms. This step is for you to share about events in your past that may be affecting your current mindset.

Phase 2: Preparation

This stage is about ensuring your readiness for EMDR. Although EMDR therapy for trauma is generally considered safe, it can be problematic for individuals who commonly experience dissociation. As a safeguard, your trauma therapist will work with you to create your own “calm place” to concentrate on if you feel distressed.

Phase 3: Assessment

It’s now time to choose a target to be reprocessed during your next few sessions. In doing so, you’ll need to identify a vivid image related to the memory, a negative cognition about yourself associated with it, and emotions and bodily sensations that accompany both. Your therapist will then have you challenge that negative cognition with a cognitive one. They will have you rate how true your positive cognition feels and how much distress the target memory causes you on a scale from 1-10.

Phase 4: Desensitization

This is where Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing comes into play. When you feel ready, your therapist will guide you to process your negative feelings and memories using bilateral eye movements intended to support the brain’s natural processing. This can help to ground you and take more directed focus on the thoughts, feelings, and images associated with your target. Every minute or so, your therapist will check in on what you’ve noticed and ask you to rate how much discomfort you’re now feeling. When you no longer report distress related to your targeted memory, you move onto the next step.

Phase 5: Installation

Next, your attention will be brought back to the positive cognition you identified earlier. Your trauma/PTSD therapist will recheck how true this belief now feels. The goal is to get this belief to feel like it’s 100 percent true.

Phase 6: Body Scan

You will now be asked to check your body for any areas of tension that may be connected to the target memory. Are your teeth clenched? Is your chest tight? Any uncomfortable physical sensations can be reprocessed using the same procedure as before, with the goal of being able to think of the target memory with less tension.

Phase 7: Closure

At the end of every session, your trauma counselor will work to help you leave feeling more settled than when you arrived. If you are feeling agitated, they will guide you through self-calming techniques to help you re-establish a sense of control.

Phase 8: Reevaluation

At the beginning of each subsequent session, your therapist will ask you questions to ensure your positive beliefs have been maintained. This will also help them to identify any new problem areas that may need to be targeted.

EMDR therapy for trauma is generally considered successful once you are able to bring up memories of trauma without feeling the distress that brought you to therapy. Your trauma therapist will also work with you on techniques and skills to help you manage upsetting feelings going forward.

Sex Therapy Can Be Beneficial

Louis Laves-Webb, LCSW-S, LPC-S and his associates work with a wide range of sexual concerns. Whether you’re preoccupied because of a sexual matter between you and your partner or just a matter you’d like to discuss with a trusted psychotherapist, we may be able to help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you work through your sexual concerns.

Phase 1: History Taking

Before beginning EMDR, your trauma therapist will get to know more about your experiences and symptoms. This step is for you to share about events in your past that may be affecting your current mindset.

Phase 2: Preparation

This stage is about ensuring your readiness for EMDR. Although EMDR therapy for trauma is generally considered safe, it can be problematic for individuals who commonly experience dissociation. As a safeguard, your trauma therapist will work with you to create your own “calm place” to concentrate on if you feel distressed.

Phase 3: Assessment

It’s now time to choose a target to be reprocessed during your next few sessions. In doing so, you’ll need to identify a vivid image related to the memory, a negative cognition about yourself associated with it, and emotions and bodily sensations that accompany both. Your therapist will then have you challenge that negative cognition with a cognitive one. They will have you rate how true your positive cognition feels and how much distress the target memory causes you on a scale from 1-10.

Phase 4: Desensitization

This is where Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing comes into play. When you feel ready, your therapist will guide you to process your negative feelings and memories using bilateral eye movements intended to support the brain’s natural processing. This can help to ground you and take more directed focus on the thoughts, feelings, and images associated with your target. Every minute or so, your therapist will check in on what you’ve noticed and ask you to rate how much discomfort you’re now feeling. When you no longer report distress related to your targeted memory, you move onto the next step.

Phase 5: Installation

Next, your attention will be brought back to the positive cognition you identified earlier. Your trauma/PTSD therapist will recheck how true this belief now feels. The goal is to get this belief to feel like it’s 100 percent true.

Phase 6: Body Scan

You will now be asked to check your body for any areas of tension that may be connected to the target memory. Are your teeth clenched? Is your chest tight? Any uncomfortable physical sensations can be reprocessed using the same procedure as before, with the goal of being able to think of the target memory with less tension.

Phase 7: Closure

At the end of every session, your trauma counselor will work to help you leave feeling more settled than when you arrived. If you are feeling agitated, they will guide you through self-calming techniques to help you re-establish a sense of control.

Phase 8: Reevaluation

At the beginning of each subsequent session, your therapist will ask you questions to ensure your positive beliefs have been maintained. This will also help them to identify any new problem areas that may need to be targeted.

EMDR therapy for trauma is generally considered successful once you are able to bring up memories of trauma without feeling the distress that brought you to therapy. Your trauma therapist will also work with you on techniques and skills to help you manage upsetting feelings going forward.

LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Sex Therapy for All Relationships

Everyone deserves a safe space to explore intimacy, desire, and connection. Our Sex Therapy services are affirming of all identities and relationships, creating room to discuss personal needs with openness and without judgment.

Discover LGBTQIA+ Affirming Sex Therapy