A psychosexual therapist works with sexual difficulties and the emotional, physical and relationship factors sitting behind them. It is worth being clear from the outset about what the work actually involves: it is talking therapy combined with structured exercises done privately at home between sessions, and there is no physical examination and no undressing involved at any point during the therapy itself.
What it covers
The range of difficulties covered is broad: loss of desire, a mismatch in desire between partners, erectile difficulties, pain experienced during sex, difficulty reaching orgasm, and the lasting effect of past sexual trauma on intimacy in a current relationship. Both individual and couple work are offered, depending on whether the difficulty sits mainly with one person or within the dynamic between partners.
Checking accreditation
UK practitioners in this field are accredited by COSRT, the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists, which is worth checking before starting work given how personal and sometimes vulnerable this territory can feel. A properly accredited psychosexual therapist will be used to discussing these topics directly and without embarrassment, which is often the biggest initial barrier for people considering this kind of support.