What Is a Sex Therapist?

A sex therapist is a healthcare professional who helps treat sexual problems through talk therapy. Learn more about what sex therapy is and what sex therapists do.

January 17, 2025 · 7 min · 1461 words · Scott Barber

Table of Contents

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat is a Sex Therapist?Who Might Need a Sex TherapistWhat to ExpectThings to ConsiderHow to Find a Sex TherapistHow Effective Is Sex TherapyA Word From Verywell

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What is a Sex Therapist?

Who Might Need a Sex Therapist

What to Expect

Things to Consider

How to Find a Sex Therapist

How Effective Is Sex Therapy

A Word From Verywell

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The idea of a sex therapist may bring up a lot of curiosity. What are those therapy sessions like? Are people naked? Is there sex? Read on to find out more about the role of a sex therapist, and what issues they can help with.

A sex therapist is a licensed mental health professional who has a minimum of a master’s degree and has to be licensed to provide therapy. They can be a social worker, marriage and family therapist, or psychologist, but they must be certified as a sex therapist.

Best Sex Therapy Certification Programs

Essentially, a sex therapist can help identify the underlying emotional or mental patterns that are causing sexual concerns such as low sexual desire, problems with arousal, inappropriate boundaries or behaviors, emotions associated with gender identity or sexual orientation, and more.

During therapy sessions, a sex therapist will provide tools, techniques, and strategies that will help you overcome barriers and improve your sexual well-being. The focus of therapy depends on what your needs are.

What Is Sex Therapy?

Who Might Need to See a Sex Therapist

There’s no specific type of person that needs to see a sex therapist. Anybody can see a sex therapist for any sexual difficulties they might be experiencing.

There are no small or big sexual problems or dysfunctions. If you feel like you need to speak to a sex therapist about a sexual problem you think you might have, it could never hurt to go ahead and do so.

People of any age or gender could seek the help of a sex therapist. There are, however, some common sexual problems people typically see sex therapists for. Some of them include:

Anxiety:

Arousal issues:

Intimacy issues:

What to Expect in a Sex Therapy Session

If you’ve just signed up for your first therapy session, it’s perfectly normal to feel a little nervous about it. Sharing details of your sex life with a stranger might seem uncomfortable, but with time, you’ll ease into the routine and hopefully end up with a resolution for your sexual problem.

You could either go for a sex therapy session alone or with your partner. Each session will vary as you progress on your journey with your sex therapist.

Sometimes they will help you build skills that improve your emotional and sexual communication to foster healthier intimacy. They may teach you specific techniques that improve sexual arousal and satisfaction. If needed, they will treat underlying anxiety related to childhood sexual abuse or sexual trauma. It depends on what your needs are.

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So you don’t feel blindsided, here are some of the things that may happen in a sex therapy session:

Is there touching?As an important note, no part of sexual therapy involves any form of physical contact with your sex therapist. If your therapist makes you feel uncomfortable in any way,you can file a complaint.However, a sex surrogate may become a part of your treatment team (only with your consent), where you would have additional emotional and physical connection as needed.

Is there touching?

As an important note, no part of sexual therapy involves any form of physical contact with your sex therapist. If your therapist makes you feel uncomfortable in any way,you can file a complaint.However, a sex surrogate may become a part of your treatment team (only with your consent), where you would have additional emotional and physical connection as needed.

As an important note, no part of sexual therapy involves any form of physical contact with your sex therapist. If your therapist makes you feel uncomfortable in any way,you can file a complaint.

However, a sex surrogate may become a part of your treatment team (only with your consent), where you would have additional emotional and physical connection as needed.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Sex Therapist

When picking asex therapist, there are a couple of things you might consider. Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing a sex therapist:

If you want to speak to a sex therapist, doing a simple online search can help you in your selection process. During your search, be sure to read about each therapist to see if they might be a good fit for you. Considering sex is so personal, finding a therapist you can actually connect with and open up to is vital.

Also, you can always ask your primary care physician for any possible recommendations.

You could also opt foronline sex therapy sessionson platforms likeTalkspaceandBetterHelp. TheAmerican Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT)is an organization that trains and certifies sex therapists. They are a great resource for finding great sex therapists that have training and experience.

Expert-Vetted: Our Picks for the Best Online Sex Therapy Services of 2024

How Effective are Sex Therapy Sessions

Overall, it has been found that sex therapy can help to address a variety of sexual issues.The outcome of sex therapy will depend on you, your partner (if there is one), and the therapist.

The efficacy of sex therapy can be dependent on how willing you are to open yourself to the things you learn in a therapy session. It’s important to take the practical exercises seriously and listen to any other tips and tricks your sex therapist might recommend.

The effectiveness of sex therapy also depends on the therapist you are seeing. The more experienced a therapist is, the better equipped they’ll be to help with a range of sexual issues.

How important is sex in a relationship?

A sex therapist can help with a variety of sexual concerns which can make a powerful impact on your relationship and overall wellbeing. However, in certain cases, you might need more than a sex therapist to resolve your concerns.

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4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Meana M, Jones S.Developments and trends in sex therapy.Adv Psychosom Med. 2011;31:57-71. doi:10.1159/000328808Ramanathan V, Redelman M.Sexual dysfunctions and sex therapy: The role of a general practitioner.Aust J Gen Pract. 2020;49(7):412-415. doi:10.31128/AJGP-02-20-5230Fielding S.How to find a sex therapist near me. Talkspace.Landmark BF, Almås E, Brurberg KG, et al.The Effects of Sexual Therapy Interventions for Sexual Problems. Knowledge Centre for the Health Services at The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH); 2012.

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Meana M, Jones S.Developments and trends in sex therapy.Adv Psychosom Med. 2011;31:57-71. doi:10.1159/000328808Ramanathan V, Redelman M.Sexual dysfunctions and sex therapy: The role of a general practitioner.Aust J Gen Pract. 2020;49(7):412-415. doi:10.31128/AJGP-02-20-5230Fielding S.How to find a sex therapist near me. Talkspace.Landmark BF, Almås E, Brurberg KG, et al.The Effects of Sexual Therapy Interventions for Sexual Problems. Knowledge Centre for the Health Services at The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH); 2012.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Meana M, Jones S.Developments and trends in sex therapy.Adv Psychosom Med. 2011;31:57-71. doi:10.1159/000328808Ramanathan V, Redelman M.Sexual dysfunctions and sex therapy: The role of a general practitioner.Aust J Gen Pract. 2020;49(7):412-415. doi:10.31128/AJGP-02-20-5230Fielding S.How to find a sex therapist near me. Talkspace.Landmark BF, Almås E, Brurberg KG, et al.The Effects of Sexual Therapy Interventions for Sexual Problems. Knowledge Centre for the Health Services at The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH); 2012.

Meana M, Jones S.Developments and trends in sex therapy.Adv Psychosom Med. 2011;31:57-71. doi:10.1159/000328808

Ramanathan V, Redelman M.Sexual dysfunctions and sex therapy: The role of a general practitioner.Aust J Gen Pract. 2020;49(7):412-415. doi:10.31128/AJGP-02-20-5230

Fielding S.How to find a sex therapist near me. Talkspace.

Landmark BF, Almås E, Brurberg KG, et al.The Effects of Sexual Therapy Interventions for Sexual Problems. Knowledge Centre for the Health Services at The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH); 2012.

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