A professional therapist has the skills and knowledge to educate patients on healthy relationship skills. This includes talking about sex.
Your therapist can also help you process, identify, and challenge existing beliefs or thoughts about what is “normal.” This can end up improving your intimacy with your partner and reduce feelings of embarrassment.
Sex can be something that’s difficult to talk about. But by going over the topic with your therapist, you’ll be able to learn more about yourself and your neuroses. So keep on reading and we’ll walk you through why you should consider talking about sex in therapy sessions.
1. Sex Is Natural
This is a fairly obvious truth but we can still forget it. Humans are sexual creatures by nature. And this means that sex is a totally healthy topic to talk about.
While it might not be appropriate talk at the office, it’s more than appropriate for you to talk about sex with your therapist as well as those people who are closest to you.
Yes, there are a lot of people who talk about the activity of having sexual intercourse. But talking about sex also includes talking about intimacy, emotions, sexual identity, and sexual development. All of these things are basic needs for most people out there.
Similar to other basic needs, problems sometimes come up. It’s important that you talk about these problems with your therapist so that you can find a healthy solution.
2. Sex Has a Social Stigma
For some reason, sex seems to be one of the most difficult things for people to talk about. There are several common barriers that stop people from being able to talk openly about sex.
First off, sex is usually a very private topic for most people. Earlier generations have established social norms about sex. Mainly, not talking about it.
In other words, many people in society believe that we shouldn’t discuss our sex lives with other people. Even the people who are close to us.
This can lead to people being too afraid to ask important questions, learning proper ways to engage with others, and communicating concerns.
Shame
These days, it seems that the way in which sex portrayed in movies, television, social media, and pornography is not reflective of reality.
If we act, feel, or think differently from what these channels tell us is normal, then we might feel guilt or shame and want to hide these pieces of us.
This can lead to repression and us becoming unsatisfied with our sex lives. That can lead our partners to feel as if they are doing something wrong, even if the problem is totally internal.
Therapist Comfortability with the Topic
Some patients are concerned that their therapist is going to feel awkward or uncomfortable if they discuss their sex lives. However, the point of seeing a therapist is to be open and share things about yourself that you can’t elsewhere. You should never be afraid to talk about any topic with your therapist.
Age
People might be afraid to talk about their sex lives because of how old they are. For example, a young person might be worried that their therapist will judge them. An older person might be embarrassed by their sexual problems because they feel that they should be past those issues.
Because we as a society don’t talk openly about sex, we can only compare ourselves to what we see in pop culture. And because this content isn’t real, we end up with a distorted view of what is natural and normal.
Gender
Similar to age, differences in gender between therapist and patient might feel awkward. This might stop a patient from talking openly about their sex lives.
Also, patients who identify as non-binary might be hesitant to open up about their sexual preferences because they are afraid of being judged.
More than anything, if you have questions or concerns, you should feel comfortable talking about it with your therapist.
3. You Can Have Better Sex
You might feel uncomfortable bringing up sex with your partner while at home. But when you have a therapist to guide the conversation, it can be much easier to express your feelings and also gain some insight into your partner’s mind.
Your therapist will not judge either of you. Instead, they will ask probing questions to get at the heart of the matter and see how you and your partner can have more meaningful and enjoyable sexual experiences.
Maybe you’ll discover that you have more fun if you introduce sex toys into the relationship. Maybe your partner will like to try role-playing or engage in a sub/dom dynamic.
You also might find that calling a phone sex line could be helpful too. In fact, you can find all phone-sex numbers for any number of sexual preferences and fetishes.
The Importance of Talking About Sex in Therapy Sessions
Hopefully, after reading the above article, you now understand the various reasons why you should be talking about sex in therapy sessions. As we can see, sex plays a big role in all of our lives. And by being open and honest with your therapist, you can learn more about yourself and have better sex with your partner too.
Are you looking for other helpful and interesting articles about sex and relationships? If so, then you should definitely make sure to check out the rest of our site today for even more!