Certified Sex Therapist Kate Balestrieri Explains How Sex Therapy Can Improve Your Relationship - Exclusive
For most of us, talking about sex is really difficult, even with our partners. But talking about sex is an essential part of any romantic or sexual relationship, and not talking about it can cause serious relationship issues. So how do you move through that discomfort and talk with your partner about your sex life?
Dr. Kate Balestrieri says that seeing a sex therapist could be the answer your relationship needs. Though talking with a third party about your sex life might seem even more uncomfortable than just talking to your partner, a sex therapist can help you find the language you need to effectively communicate with your partner and make sure everyone's feelings and needs are heard and addressed.
In an exclusive interview with Health Digest, Dr. Balestrieri, who is a certified sex therapist herself, explained how talking to a sex therapist can improve your relationship and discussed the issues they can help you address.
Who can benefit from sex therapy?
The first thing Dr. Kate Balestrieri made clear is that couples go to sex therapy for all kinds of different reasons.
According to her, "Some of the more common reasons include: mismatched desire/low desire, navigating different sexual interests, cultivating sex after trauma, trying new sexual experiences (kink/BDSM), opening a relationship (negotiating relationship boundaries), addressing sexual dysfunction ... adding vitality to their sex life, sex before, during and after pregnancy, [and] infidelity."
Seeking out a sex therapist doesn't always mean your relationship is in trouble. In fact, going to a sex therapist can be a great way to make a healthy relationship even healthier as well as solidify your romantic bond. Basically, any issue that puts stress on your relationship or any new things you want to explore with your sexual partner are perfect fodder for sex therapy sessions.
Why work with a sex therapist?
Dr. Kate Balestrieri explained that because sex therapists are "licensed mental health professional[s]" who specialize in sex, relationships, and intimacy, they can guide conversations, provide insight from research into human sexuality and relationships, and offer strategies for improving your relationship dynamics. Sex therapists also have a deep understanding of the ties between sex, relationships, and mental health, so they can ensure that everyone is mentally and emotionally safe during these conversations.
Because sex therapists literally specialize in sex, they can help you think of solutions that you might not have come up with on your own. "You can brainstorm new ways to be sexual or ways to address sexual boredom, frustration, discomfort or dysfunction," said Dr. Balestrieri.
She added that sex therapists can be particularly helpful for couples that are trying to conceive. This puts a whole new level of stress and pressure on the relationship, which can be especially hard to address because emotions are running high. But she firmly believes that anybody in a sexual relationship can benefit from having a trained third party help them reflect on and process their thoughts and feelings about their relationship, sex, and intimacy.
Dr. Kate Balestrieri and her team are dedicated to helping people have a more expansive and integrated relationship with sex in an ever-changing contemporary landscape. Learn how Dr. Balestrieri is changing the conversation around mental health, relational, and sexual health and wellness by visiting her website – Modern Intimacy.