Online sex therapy for couples with sexual issues has become increasingly common over the past decade and is widely embraced by younger generations. In fact, about 44% of couples seek couples therapy before marriage. Working with an online sex therapist has made growth even more accessible.
What is the cause of this uptick in couples therapy? Gone are the days that couples assumed therapy was only for couples on the brink of separation. Now, we’re seeing couples enter therapy and work with a mental health professional to strengthen their foundation, find better ways to communicate, and overcome obstacles as a unit.
Within the spheres of both individual therapy and couples counseling is the growing field of sex therapy. Currently, online sex therapy is the option preferred by most couples as nearly 84.7% of therapy have transitioned to pandemic-safe, widely available online sessions with a sex therapist certified through the American Association for Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT).
If you’re spending more time now than ever with your partner and discovering sexual obstacles along the way, you’re not alone. Read on to learn 8 benefits of online sex therapy that couples everywhere are taking advantage of.
8 Benefits Of Online Sex Therapy
1. Overcoming Sexual Trauma
Experiencing sexual trauma can make it incredibly difficult to experience sexual pleasure. In fact, what begins as consensual sexual activity can become triggering for a partner who is living with sexual trauma.
Working through sexual trauma is often much more achievable with the guidance and support of a trained professional. Addressing sexual trauma in a sex therapy setting can bring recovery to the traumatized individual and provide insight for their partner on how to be supportive and understanding.
2. Learning Better Ways to Communicate
When a couple is experiencing difficulty with basic communication, it can cause problems in nearly every arena of their relationship, especially as it relates to sexual health and sexual dysfunction. If miscommunication is often leading to anger, hurt feelings, or distrust, sexual intimacy may feel hard to achieve. Learning better ways to communicate can help heal past problems and open new doors in the future.
3. Addressing Mismatched Desires
One of the most common reasons that couples struggle to connect sexually stems from one partner having sexual fantasies or desires that the other partner does not share. In sex therapy, couples can find ways to navigate these differences in a healthy way. You may reach a compromise or get to the root of your mismatched desires in a productive way.
4. Exploring Alternative Possibilities
Transitioning from a 100% monogamous relationship to an open or polyamorous relationship isn’t always easy. Introducing new individuals into your romantic or sexual life requires open communication and a clear understanding of both partners’ boundaries.
Alternatives to strict monogamy can productively fulfill the needs of one or both partners, but this solution is only appropriate when everyone involved is in agreement. An online sex therapist can mediate discussions surrounding these encounters and help both partners find the boundaries that make them feel seen and respected.
5. Recovering Low Libido or Sexual Interest
One or both partners may discover that over time, their libido isn’t quite as strong as it once was. They may struggle to feel aroused or maintain sexual interest in their partner.
Sex therapy provides a safe space to discuss issues of libido and uncover ways that you can get back to a happy, regular sex life. Your AASECT certified sex therapist may encourage sensate focus exercises, in which both partners become acquainted (or reacquainted) with one another’s bodies in a gradual and healthy way.
6. Discussing or Exploring Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity
There is no single path to exploring or discovering one’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Coming out to an already-established partner can feel intimidating for some partners.
For example, you may wonder if your partner will understand how you came to recognize your bisexual or queer identity while in a relationship. You may worry that they won’t know how to react if you tell them that your gender identity is not what you or they once thought it was. With the help of a sex therapist, you can seek sex therapy to have these conversations in a space where you feel safe and supported and your partner can ask questions without overstepping your boundaries or causing harm.
7. Building Intimacy
Some partners enter a relationship ready to give and receive intimacy and expect that, at this stage, it is a given. However, intimacy can be allusive for some. It can also be broken, and talking about sex can be a challenge.
In order to achieve true intimacy, you must feel trust in and comfort with another person. You may also find that intimacy is hard to reach not because of your partner but because you carry feelings like shame surrounding sexual pleasure. In sex therapy, you can broach these subjects while receiving the counseling you need to break down any barriers that exist.
8. Dealing with Jealousy
Jealousy is one of the biggest relationship destroyers and it exists in many forms. When that jealousy affects or is caused by anything relating to sex, it can wreak havoc on your sex life.
For example, some partners struggle to accept a partner’s employment as a sex worker. However, it is not reasonable to demand that one partner demands that the other partner change their line of work in order to appease jealous feelings.
If jealousy exists within a relationship, sex therapists can help get to the root of those feelings and help unlock solutions that work for both partners.
Find Out More About Online Sex Therapy
More and more couples are entering into sex counseling and marriage counseling, not because their relationship is on its last thread, but because they’re ready to make it stronger. Online sex therapy is a fantastic option for any couple seeking a stronger sex life and a pandemic-safe environment in which to feel comfortable working through any existing barriers. With so much of our lives on hold, now is the perfect time to unpack your sexual needs and address your concerns.
To find out more about if working with a therapist who specializes in sex therapy, and specifically an online sex therapist, is a good fit for you, contact us today. We will begin with a 30 minute consultation to discuss our therapy offerings, help you in finding a location sex therapist and address your sexual problems and relationship needs and goals.
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