Sex Therapy In Austin, TX

Everyone experiences sexual issues at some point of their life. 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 between partners due to the taboo nature. However, sex therapy is a beneficial step that can be taken in order to best address 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 get to the bottom of sexual issues in order to best address them and from there be able to reverse any issues that could be interfering 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 determine the root of your concerns.

Sex therapy will allow the psychotherapist to work with the couple to work through emotional issues that may be contributing to sexual issues. These problems are addressed by practicing mindfulness and by finding the root of the problem to best address your concern.

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. Even though EMDR therapy for trauma is completely 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 to facilitate the brain’s healing process. This will 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 in your body caused by the target memory. Are your teeth clenched? Is your chest tight? Any uncomfortable physical sensations will be reprocessed using the same procedure as before until you can think of the target memory without feeling any tension.

Phase 7: Closure

At the end of every session, your trauma counselor will make sure that you are leaving feeling more relaxed than when you arrived. If you are feeling agitated, they will lead you through self-calming techniques until you regain your 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 considered a success once you are able to bring up memories of trauma without feeling the distress that brought you to therapy. Your trauma therapist will also provide you with the techniques and skills you need going forward to deal with upsetting feelings.

Sex Therapy Can Be Beneficial

Louis Laves-Webb, LCSW, LPC-S and his associates are able to help you with any sexual concern you may be experiencing. 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 can 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. Even though EMDR therapy for trauma is completely 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 to facilitate the brain’s healing process. This will 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 in your body caused by the target memory. Are your teeth clenched? Is your chest tight? Any uncomfortable physical sensations will be reprocessed using the same procedure as before until you can think of the target memory without feeling any tension.

Phase 7: Closure

At the end of every session, your trauma counselor will make sure that you are leaving feeling more relaxed than when you arrived. If you are feeling agitated, they will lead you through self-calming techniques until you regain your 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 considered a success once you are able to bring up memories of trauma without feeling the distress that brought you to therapy. Your trauma therapist will also provide you with the techniques and skills you need going forward to deal with upsetting feelings.

Find Out How Sex Therapy Can Help You

 Schedule A Consultation Today

Specialties

Addiction Anger/ Aggression Anxiety Children/ Adolescents Chronic Illness Couple's Therapy Depression Eating Disorders Family Therapy Group Therapy Health IFS Therapy EMDR Trauma Therapy Individual Therapy LGBTQIA+Life Transitions Men's Issues Mindfulness Online Therapy Parenting PTSD Relationship/ Intimacy Self-Esteem Spirituality Student Concerns Trauma

Sex Therapy In Austin, TX

What Does A Sex Therapist Do?

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Counseling On Your Schedule

Common Concerns Discussed In Sex Therapy

Phase 1: History Taking

Phase 2: Preparation

Phase 3: Assessment

Phase 4: Desensitization

Phase 5: Installation

Phase 6: Body Scan

Phase 7: Closure

Phase 8: Reevaluation

Sex Therapy Can Be Beneficial

Phase 1: History Taking

Phase 2: Preparation

Phase 3: Assessment

Phase 4: Desensitization

Phase 5: Installation

Phase 6: Body Scan

Phase 7: Closure

Phase 8: Reevaluation

Find Out How Sex Therapy Can Help You

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