Therapy service
Sex Therapy
A calm, professional space to talk about sex and intimacy without shame.
50 min
Typical session length
Talking only
No physical examination, ever
8-16
Typical course length, sessions
Individual or couple
Flexible format, joined online
Understanding it
About Sex Therapy
Sex therapy is confidential talking therapy, with no physical examination or touch, delivered online by a registered therapist. It helps individuals and couples make sense of difficulties with desire, arousal, pain, function or intimacy, including after a health change, birth or trauma.
Sex therapy is confidential talking therapy, there is no physical examination or nudity involved at any point. Its focus is the psychological, relational and sometimes medical factors behind difficulties with desire, arousal, function, pain or intimacy, and the shame or anxiety that often builds up around them over time.
Many difficulties in this area have layered causes: physical health, hormonal change, medication, trauma history, relationship dynamics and simple lack of accurate information can all play a part. A sex therapist helps untangle which factors are contributing and works through them at a pace that respects privacy and shame, rather than assuming a single cause or quick fix.
Sessions can be individual or with a partner, and often include structured, staged exercises to try privately at home between sessions, such as non-sexual touch exercises or communication tasks. Delivering this work online can actually ease some of the discomfort people feel discussing intimate topics face to face in a clinic setting.
Because sexual difficulty is one of the most under-discussed areas of health, many people carry it alone for years before seeking help, often assuming it says something shameful about them or their relationship. In reality it is extremely common, and a structured, informed approach tends to bring relief fairly quickly once someone takes the step to start.
How it shows up
You might recognise some of this
Nobody has all of it. Most people recognise a handful — and that's enough to start.
Best suited to
- Mismatched desire between partners
- Erectile, arousal or orgasm difficulties
- Vaginismus or pain during sex
- Reconnecting with the body after trauma
- Intimacy changes after birth, menopause or illness
What sessions involve
- A detailed, non-judgemental history-taking
- Screening for medical factors that may need onward referral to a GP
- Structured, staged tasks to try at home, alone or with a partner
- Communication tools for talking about sex with a partner
- Regular review of pace and comfort
What changes
- A shared, accurate language for what's happening
- Reduced shame and self-blame
- Practical, workable steps rather than pressure to 'perform'
- Improved communication about intimacy with a partner
- Renewed confidence and comfort with your own body
When this may not be the right fit
- If the difficulty is purely and clearly medical, a GP or specialist should be seen first or alongside
- If there is current, unaddressed relationship abuse, safety needs addressing before intimacy work
- If you're seeking a quick technical fix rather than exploring underlying factors
- If a partner is unwilling to engage and individual desire mismatch work isn't wanted
- If you're not ready to discuss the topic at all yet, which is worth respecting
Signals
When this helps
- Mismatched desire in a relationship
- Erectile or arousal difficulties
- Vaginismus and painful sex
- Post-trauma reconnection with the body
- Intimacy after birth, menopause or illness
- Loss of confidence around sex and body image
The work
How therapy helps here
Language and framework for something hard to talk about
Practical, staged homework where useful
Space to include a partner, or work alone
The evidence
What the research actually says
Plain-English summaries of the guidance our therapists work from.
Combined psychological and medical approaches work best
Clinical guidance for sexual dysfunctions generally recommends addressing psychological, relational and medical factors together, since purely medical treatment, for example for erectile difficulty, often underperforms without addressing anxiety or relational context.
CBT-based sex therapy has a solid evidence base
Structured approaches combining psychoeducation, graded exposure and communication skills, the core of most sex therapy protocols, are supported by clinical trials for conditions like vaginismus and low desire.
Mindfulness-based approaches show promise for desire and arousal
Research on mindfulness-based interventions for sexual difficulties, particularly in women, has found improvements in subjective arousal and satisfaction by reducing performance-focused, distracted attention during intimacy.
Trauma-informed practice matters in this field
Guidance for therapists working with sexual difficulty consistently highlights the importance of trauma-informed, paced approaches, given how often past sexual trauma or abuse underlies present-day difficulties with intimacy.
What to expect
How a course of therapy usually unfolds
A guide, not a script — your therapist shapes this around you.
- 1
Free 15-minute intro call
A brief, discreet conversation to check fit, individually or as a couple, before booking a full session.
- 2
Assessment
A thorough, unhurried history of the difficulty, its onset and any medical factors.
- 3
Formulation
Understanding what's maintaining the difficulty, whether psychological, relational or physical.
- 4
Staged tasks
Structured homework, often starting with non-sexual touch or exercises done privately.
- 5
Review and consolidation
Checking progress toward the goals agreed at the outset and adjusting the plan as things shift.
Worth saying
Common worries, honestly answered
“Sex therapy involves physical touch or examination in session.”
It is entirely talking therapy. Any 'exercises' are done privately at home, not in the therapy room.
“It's only for couples.”
Many people attend individually, whether or not they're currently in a relationship.
“It's a sign the relationship is failing.”
Sexual difficulty is extremely common and often has nothing to do with how much a couple loves each other.
Between sessions
Small things that genuinely help
None of these replace therapy — but they're a gentle place to begin today.
- Read up on accurate, non-judgemental information about your specific difficulty
- Notice and name pressure or performance anxiety when it shows up
- Talk to a partner about pace, without needing to solve everything at once
- Rule out or address medical factors with your GP alongside therapy
- Be patient, staged approaches work gradually, not overnight
FAQs
Frequently asked
Find the therapist who fits
Answer 10 short questions and we'll match you within 48 hours — no card needed to start.