Sex Therapy

What is sex therapy?

To put it simply, sex therapy is psychotherapy where we primarily work on issues related to sexual health/sexuality. While issues related to sex will often come up in other forms of psychotherapy, these topics are the main focus in sex therapy sessions.

Despite the tendency to consider sex a purely “physical” act, we know that approaching sexual health from a strictly medical perspective does not yield the outcomes that people want (you can read more about that here, here, here, and here). Instead, using a multidimensional and holistic biopsychosocial lens allows us to explore how biological, psychological, and sociological factors can impact your sexual experiences (both positively and negatively).

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How do I know if I need sex therapy?

Sex therapy can be beneficial for individuals as well as couples (or any members of a romantic/sexual relationship structure). During sex therapy sessions, we might focus on:

  • addressing challenges related to desire, arousal, orgasm, and overall sexual satisfaction;

  • navigating discrepancies in desire for amount or type of sexual connection;

  • treating sexual pain through and post illness and adapting to sexual changes over the lifespan;

  • facilitating communication surrounding intimacy and expressing sexual desire;

  • addressing patterns of sexual behaviour that feel out of control or compulsive in nature;

  • introducing new sexual interests (e.g. kinks) or changes to relationship structures (e.g. moving from monogamy to consensual non-monogamy);

  • exploring sexual and gender identity, and 2SLGBTQIA+ sexual health more broadly;

  • working through sexual infidelity or betrayal;

  • processing the effects of sexual assault, abuse, or exploitation; and

  • improving, or even optimizing, an already good and functional sexual relationship

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Who are your sex therapists?

Two of our team members, Katie Campeau and Amanda Van Geel, are currently offering sex therapy services under Katherine Wilson’s supervision. This means that Katherine will be closely involved in all aspects of your therapy work on an ongoing basis.

Katherine holds a certificate in Sexual Health & Sex Therapy from the University of Michigan. She has additionally completed numerous other sex & sexuality-related trainings, such as the University of Guelph’s Intensive Sex Therapy Program. Katherine is a member of numerous sexology organizations, such as:

  • Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR)

  • American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT)

  • International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM)

  • International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH)

  • World Association for Sexual Health (WAS)

  • World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH)

  • Association of Sex Therapy in Ontario (ASTO)

Sex Therapy FAQs

Q: Does sex therapy include a physical assessment?

A: Absolutely not; sex therapy is strictly a form of talk therapy. It’s likely that we will discuss relevant physical symptoms, such as pain or discomfort, but sessions will never involve touch of any kind.

This said, it is often the case that a physical assessment can be valuable to assist in clarifying the nature of the concern(s), and in these cases we can help facilitate referrals to appropriate services (for example, an OB/GYN, a pelvic floor physiotherapist, etc.).

Q: Are sex therapy services covered?

A: This will depend on your third party coverage for services provided by a registered psychologist, psychotherapist, or social worker. You will not need separate coverage for sex therapy specifically; since sex therapy falls under the umbrella of psychological, psychotherapy, or social work services, there is no specific mention of “sex therapy” on any billing documentation.

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