Contemporary Sex Therapy

Book excerpt: Contemporary Sex Therapy explores modern sexuality, its expression and problems, and some of the uniquely twenty-first century issues facing sex therapists and society as a whole. Seeking solutions to these and other common sexual and relationship problems, the book provides a practical, sensitive and modern approach, which tackles the complexities of contemporary relationships, identity, love and sex. A comprehensive, stepped approach to psychosexual therapy is offered, demonstrating how to tackle blocks to sex and intimacy as well as providing an understanding of how and why they develop. Loss of desire, sexual pain and erectile and orgasm difficulties are seen within the context of modern life and relationship dynamics, so that comprehensive and realistic solutions are more readily enabled. The book looks at significant issues such as sexual consent, sexual and gender identity, sexual trauma and culture, as well as the more recent challenges of porn-related sexual dependency, chemsex, female genital cutting and technology. Throughout, the emphasis is on recognising and meeting the specific obstacles and needs of a wide diversity of relationships and experiences, providing a vast toolbox to appropriately address contemporary sexual issues. Established sex therapists, as well as students, will benefit from the book’s modern approach which focuses on each partner’s experience, avoiding outcome and response anxiety entirely and appreciating the range of pressures experienced by modern couples. Relationship therapists and couples themselves will also be motivated by new ideas and explanations, which often challenge existing intuitive understanding to produce nuanced and effective solutions to improve sex and intimacy.