What is Specialized Sex Therapy?
It's not about fixing flaws; it's about healing the shame and trauma that block your body's natural capacity for intimacy and connection.
Sex Therapy Defined
Sex therapy is a specialized form of talk therapy focused on helping individuals and couples address concerns related to sexual function, satisfaction, desire, and intimacy. It is a non-judgmental space where you can discuss issues that often feel too sensitive or shameful to bring up elsewhere.
I use the Biopsychosocial Model, meaning we look at the whole picture:
Biological: Hormones, medications, medical conditions (e.g., pain).
Psychological: Thoughts, beliefs, trauma, and anxiety.
Social: Relational conflict, cultural rules, and religious teachings.
As a Certified Sex Therapist in training, I follow the PLISSIT model to ensure our work is always trauma-informed, safe, and paced by your comfort.
We begin by establishing Permission (P) to talk about every concern without judgment. We then move to Limited Information (LI) to correct myths and provide necessary facts. Once safe, we use Specific Suggestions (SS)—practical homework like Sensate Focus or communication scripts—to practice new behaviors outside of session. Finally, Intensive Therapy (IT) is reserved for addressing complex trauma using specialized modalities like IFS and EMDR principles, ensuring we move forward only at your pace to achieve lasting integration.
Who Needs Sex Therapy?
Mismatched Desire: When partners have very different sex drives.
Sexual Shame: Healing from purity culture or religious teachings that caused guilt.
Performance Anxiety: Fear or stress related to sexual function.
Function Issues: Concerns like pain, erectile difficulties, or difficulty achieving orgasm.
Trauma: Processing how past abuse or betrayal affects current intimacy.
Identity: Navigating sexual identity, orientation, or consensual non-monogamy (CNM).
Sex Therapy for Individuals or Couples.
Sexual Issues I Help With Include…
Sexual shame and pain
Desire issues including changes and discrepancies
Difficulties with intimacy and sexual communication
Navigating consensual non-monogamy (CNM)
"Sex Addiction", especially in religious contexts (Out of Control Sexual Behaviors OCSB)
Concerns around pleasure, consent, and healthy sexual expression across the lifespan
Exploring gender, sexual orientation, and intersectional identities
Impact of minority stress and discrimination on LGBTQ+ individuals
Identity development issues, particularly for LGBTQ+ individuals from conservative religious backgrounds
Trauma, including complex trauma and its impact on the body
Faith crises and transitions, and the associated emotional and relational challenges
Relational dynamics in mixed-faith couples
Stress, anxiety, and general well-being through mindfulness
Acute psychological crises
Mental health needs during the perinatal period
Substance use disorder within LGBTQIA+ communities (through harm reduction)
Grief within the LGBTQIA+ community
Relationship and sex life challenges for clients with ADHD
Sexual Pain Issues: Treating dyspareunia (painful intercourse) and vaginismus
Sexual Dysfunction: Addressing Erectile Dysfunction (ED), difficulty with arousal or orgasm, and low libido/desire discrepancy between partners
Trauma: Processing complex trauma and childhood trauma using IFS and EMDR principles
Body & Trauma Response: Reducing hypervigilance and dissociation during intimacy
Autonomy: Healing shame and guilt scripts to foster Autonomy and self-worth
Relationship Dynamics: Counseling for neuro-spicy differences (e.g., ADHD) that impact communication
Understanding Sex Therapy: A Path to Sexual Wellness
Sex therapy is a dedicated form of psychotherapy focused on improving your sexual health and satisfaction. A sex therapist is a licensed mental health professional who has pursued extensive, specialized training to address the emotional, psychological, and relational factors that interfere with desire, intimacy, and pleasure. We operate in a safe, non-judgmental, and confidential environment, recognizing that sexual well-being is integral to overall mental health and quality of life.
As a dedicated clinician focusing on sexual health, I have completed over 150 hours of intensive training around sexual health from two premier institutions: the Modern Sex Therapy Institute (MSTI) and The Healing Group Institute (THGI). This comprehensive coursework has focused on advanced methodologies for treating complex sexual issues, including relational dysfunction, trauma-informed care, and the non-addiction model for Out-of-Control Sexual Behavior.
In addition to rigorous academic training, I have successfully completed 20 hours of specialized, one-on-one clinical supervision, applying these sophisticated theories directly to client cases. This extensive specialization ensures that I approach every sexual health challenge with a high degree of expertise, sensitivity, and current, evidence-based knowledge.
The Clinical Roadmap: Integrating Biopsychosocial Assessment with the PLISSIT Model
My clinical methodology begins with the biopsychosocial approach, which ensures a holistic understanding of sexual health by rigorously examining the interplay between physiological function, psychological distress (such as trauma and performance anxiety), and the surrounding social and cultural dynamics that shape sexual beliefs. This comprehensive assessment directly informs my use of the tiered intervention model known as PLISSIT (Permission, Limited Information, Specific Suggestions, Intensive Therapy). PLISSIT acts as a roadmap, guiding me to meet clients exactly where they are—whether they need simple Permission to talk about a topic, focused Limited Information to correct miseducation, practical Specific Suggestions to try at home, or an integrated, deep dive into Intensive Therapy—thus ensuring the most appropriate, ethical, and contained clinical response to their unique needs.
What We Address: The Emotional and Relational Core
Sexual wellness is a complex mind-body experience. We work with individuals and partners to resolve emotional and relational roadblocks that undermine sexual satisfaction.
A sex therapist can help you address:
Desire and Arousal Concerns: Including low or mismatched desire between partners (responsive vs. spontaneous desire) and difficulty achieving or maintaining arousal.
Sexual Function and Pleasure: Issues like performance anxiety, difficulty reaching orgasm (anorgasmia), premature or delayed ejaculation, and pain related to sexual activity (dyspareunia or vaginismus).
Shame and Trauma: Working through sexual trauma, religious shame, cultural barriers, and poor body image that prevent sexual presence and enjoyment.
Relational Dynamics: Improving communication, rebuilding trust after infidelity, navigating mismatched sexual expectations, and addressing power imbalances or issues of sexual exploitation.
Specialized Behavior: We specialize in trauma-informed, shame-free models for Out-of-Control Sexual Behavior (oCSB), helping clients move beyond the rigid addiction paradigm to align their sexual behaviors with their values.
Sexual Identity and Education: Providing accurate, non-judgmental information and exploration around sexual identity, orientation, and correcting past miseducation.
The Therapeutic Process and Scope
Therapy is collaborative and talk-based, focusing on building awareness and implementing change.
What Happens in Session:
Sessions involve in-depth psychotherapy where we collaboratively explore your history, current beliefs, behaviors, and goals related to sex. You may attend sessions alone or with your romantic or sexual partner(s), depending on your treatment focus. To facilitate meaningful and lasting change, we utilize a range of evidence-based interventions tailored to sexual health. These modalities often include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for challenging performance anxiety and negative thought patterns, Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) and Attachment Theory to improve relational security and intimacy, and specialized Trauma-Informed Care to process and integrate past experiences. Furthermore, we integrate somatic and mindfulness-based interventions to help you achieve greater embodiment and presence during sexual experiences, alongside concrete couples communication training to foster mutual pleasure and consent.
The Role of Homework:
A key component of sex therapy is structured "homework"—experiential exercises you perform privately at home. This may include non-demand touching exercises, self-exploration, communication scripts, or using tools like the Dual Control Model (accelerators and brakes) to identify what truly turns you on and off.
Important Ground Rule:
It is essential to understand that sex therapy sessions do not involve any physical contact or sexual activity between the client(s) and the therapist. Any physical or medical issues must be addressed by a medical provider. For instance, if you experience pain or dysfunction, we suggest a medical clearance from a gynecologist or urologist to rule out physical causes before we can effectively address the psychological components.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Sex Therapy
Navigating sexual concerns can feel isolating. These answers address common questions to help clarify the process and highlight how our specialized, shame-free approach works.
Q: What happens in a sex therapy session?
Sessions are entirely talk-based, just like traditional therapy. We explore your history, beliefs, and emotions related to sex. We focus on communication, psychoeducation, and assigning structured homework (like reading or communication exercises) to be completed outside of the session.
Q: Is sex therapy only for couples, or can I come alone?
A: Both! We welcome individuals and couples (and throuples or more). Many complex issues, such as sexual shame, healing from trauma, OCSB (Out-of-Control Sexual Behavior), or personal low desire, are best addressed first in individual sessions. This work focuses on your relationship with yourself, your body, and your self-worth. Couples sessions are for issues where the primary goal is improving communication, reconciling differences in desire, or healing relational betrayal.
Q: Do you provide LGBTQ+ Affirmative Care?
A: Yes, providing LGBTQ+ Affirmative Care is a foundational and non-negotiable principle of my practice. Affirmative care moves far beyond mere tolerance; it means actively celebrating and supporting gender and sexual diversity while understanding the unique clinical challenges faced by the community.
My commitment is backed by extensive specialization: I am affiliated with the LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapists Guild of Utah, and my CCTP (Certified Clinical Trauma Professional) and sex therapy training ensure I am equipped to address the trauma, shame, and minority stress that often arise at the intersection of identity, faith, and culture. My clinical goal is to create a space where clients are fully seen, validated, and supported in their journey toward autonomous self-expression and intimate connection.
Q: What makes your approach different, especially regarding shame?
A: My approach is uniquely Trauma-Informed and Identity-Affirming. I specialize in helping clients heal the deep-seated religious trauma and purity culture shame that often blocks intimacy. We treat the struggle not as a moral failure, but as a nervous system response. Using my training as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) and the tools of IFS (Internal Family Systems), we focus on integrating the trauma that causes disconnect, rather than simply suppressing the behavior.
You bring up an extremely important distinction, as many clients need to know if their faith will be respected even if they are struggling. I have updated the FAQ to include questions that address both active and post-religious clients, emphasizing your Identity-Affirming and cultural literacy.
Q: What makes your approach different, especially regarding shame and religion?
A: My approach is uniquely Trauma-Informed and Identity-Affirming. I specialize in helping clients heal the deep-seated religious trauma and purity culture shame that often blocks intimacy. We treat the struggle not as a moral failure, but as a nervous system response. My personal journey 'from orthodoxy to compassion' provides me with cultural literacy to address your concerns with respect, whether you are actively practicing, questioning, or have fully left your faith.
Q: Does sex therapy require me to change my religious beliefs?
A: Absolutely not. The goal of therapy is to help you define and live by your own authentic values, whatever they may be. We focus on separating harmful shame from your core beliefs and spirituality. Your faith journey is yours—my role is to provide a non-judgmental space where you can pursue healing and connection without external pressure.
Q: What types of issues are a good fit for your specialized background?
A: We specialize in complex conflicts where trauma and culture intersect. These issues include:
Healing Purity Culture Trauma: Overcoming the anxiety and guilt associated with sex due to past moral teachings.
Mixed-Faith Couples Conflict: Stabilizing relationships where partners have different spiritual or life values.
Identity & Trauma Integration: Supporting LGBTQ+ individuals and couples from conservative backgrounds who need to reconcile their sexual identity with their spiritual history.
OCSB (Out-of-Control Sexual Behavior): Treating the behavior as a trauma-based coping mechanism and healing the relational rupture it causes.
