Erectile Dysfunction and Benefits of Therapy

Sex therapy is a short-term form of counseling, generally involving 6 to 12 sessions with a sex therapist. A typical session may be a session every week or every other week.

What happens during a sex therapy session?

During sessions, you and your sex therapist will work together to identify and change thoughts and behaviors that are interfering with your sexual life. You may see your therapist by yourself or with your romantic or sexual partner(s).

Your therapist may ask you questions about your:

• Health and sexual background.

• Sex education.

• Beliefs about sex.

• Specific sexual concerns.

Talking about sex can be awkward or uncomfortable. Sex therapists recognize this and do their best to make you feel comfortable since they are open-minded and it's a part of their job on a daily basis. As conversation is the main part of psychotherapy, you need to be actively involved in the therapy. The trust and relationship between you and your therapist are essential to working together effectively and benefiting from the therapy.

Your sex therapists may assign homework — activities and exercises that you do in the privacy of your home. This may involve experimentation, such as role playing, or exercises to build trust and intimacy — whether with yourself or with your partner(s).

Sex therapy may be useful for treating erectile dysfunction if a man is able to have a normal erection during sleep, the results of their physical exam and blood tests are normal, and they are generally in good health.

Sex therapy may also be helpful when erectile dysfunction is caused by stress resulting from work worries, financial worries, relationship conflicts, and poor sexual communication.

In these cases, sex therapy may be the best treatment option.

It’s important to know that sex therapy sessions don’t involve any physical contact or sexual activity between you and your therapist. If you feel uncomfortable with any aspect of therapy, you should tell your therapist or stop seeing them and try another one.

What does CBT for ED involve?

Your therapist will work to develop a shared understanding of how thoughts – such as negative predictions, unrealistic expectations and distorted beliefs about a partner’s needs – can lead to a physical reaction such as ED. Sexual education, developing communication methods, and undoing negative thought patterns are essential to this therapy.

Discussion is structured so you can tackle specific goals and have a clear sense of direction and progress.

An individual treatment plan will then be worked out collaboratively, and between appointment sessions you will be encouraged to practice strategies and techniques to overcome certain issues. The focus is very much on current problems and feelings, as opposed to a more traditional therapy approaches of delving into your past.

Erectile dysfunction and benefits of therapy:

Potential outcomes of CBT for ED

CBT is a shorter form of talking therapy than psychosexual therapy and can be completed relatively quickly if you commit yourself to it. The strategies for managing negative thought cycles are extremely practical and can affect real change in terms of breaking down overwhelming feelings of failure, hopelessness, depression and anxiety.

Armed with new structure and strategies, you can reach a point where you can deal with your issues without a therapist.

What does sex therapy for ED involve?

You can expect to talk about your attitudes to sex and any perceived problems, so that your therapist can recommend specific exercises to overcome or improve on these. A therapist can provide advice on how to boost the sexual experience, such relaxation and stimulation techniques, as well as ways of communicating.

The ‘sensate focus’ exercise is particularly popular, where both partners agree to abstain from sex for a few weeks but increase non-sexual bodily contact and understanding. You gradually begin to incorporate sexual elements into your touching until you are both ready for sex, increasing the other person’s understanding of how you like to be touched.

Erectile dysfunction and benefits of therapy:

Potential outcomes

Again, including your partner will make this form of therapy more effective. The therapy can be used to discuss sexual concerns, or for advice on how to approach conversations on ED treatment with a partner, especially when they are invasive measures, such as surgical treatment.

General sexual education around male sexual response, the context in which you have sex, the psychology of sexual interest, and the effect of age, medication and health problems are major benefits of this therapy.

This kind of therapy is unlikely to be very effective if a man or a couple stops the treatment after only have a few sessions. Again, dedication and investing time in the exercises outside of sessions are needed for maximum effectiveness.

Sex therapy is particularly useful for addressing ED caused by stress and poor sexual communication, as opposed to deeper psychological or sexual issues. It can take the form of about 20 one-hour sessions.

Sex therapy is most effective when a man's sexual partner is willing to be part of the treatment. Studies have shown that for men with stress-related ED, having the partner involved in the therapy resolves the problem 50%-70% of the time.

Read more about "Erectile Dysfunction" here.

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