What Is Sex Therapy?
Understanding a Safe, Supportive Path to Healing and Connection
When you hear the term sex therapy, what comes to mind? For many, it might conjure awkward images, uncertainty, or even embarrassment. But the truth is, sex therapy is a safe, compassionate, and transformative space for individuals and couples to work through some of the most intimate and impactful aspects of their lives.
Let’s take a look at what sex therapy really is—and how it might be exactly the support you’ve been needing.
What Is Sex Therapy?
Sex therapy is a specialized form of talk therapy focused on sexual health, intimacy, and relationship dynamics. It’s not just about sex—it’s about the emotional, psychological, relational, and sometimes spiritual aspects of sexuality.
Sex therapy can address a wide range of issues including:
Sexual dysfunction or pain
Sexual addiction or compulsivity
Infidelity (emotional or physical)
Low libido or mismatched desire levels
Past sexual trauma or abuse
Body image issues and body dysmorphia
Shame and negative beliefs about sex
Cultural or religious messaging that has impacted sexuality
Identity questions or concerns
In other words, if a sexual topic—whether from your past or present—is affecting your life or relationships, sex therapy offers a space to explore and heal.
Who Can Benefit from Sex Therapy?
Everyone.
While Cristine primarily works with couples (especially around infidelity or desire discrepancies), anyone experiencing distress related to sexuality can benefit. Whether you're struggling with past trauma, feeling shame around your body or identity, or just sensing that something is “off” in your intimate life, sex therapy can help you reconnect—with your partner, with your body, and with yourself.
You don’t have to be ready to talk about everything on day one. It’s perfectly okay to start with what feels safe. Even beginning to name the discomfort can be a powerful first step.
What Happens in a Sex Therapy Session?
Sessions are similar in structure to traditional counseling—but with extra care.
Sex therapy begins with a focus on safety and stabilization. You’ll learn coping strategies and build a foundation of trust before diving into deeper work. The therapist takes time to gently identify areas of sensitivity (what Cristine calls “landmines”), always going at your pace.
This work is not about behavior modification or quick fixes. It's not just about sex positions or frequency. And no, a sex therapist isn’t going to tell you to “just have more sex.”
Instead, it’s about helping you understand your values, your relational dynamics, and what healthy intimacy looks like for you. It’s discussion-based, trauma-informed, and deeply individualized. Exercises, communication tools, and even recommended readings may become part of the process, depending on your unique goals.
Overcoming Shame and Cultural Conditioning
For many, sexual shame runs deep—whether it stems from trauma, family messaging, religious environments, or societal expectations. Cristine notes that in her work, she often sees clients impacted by conservative or purity-focused upbringings where sexual messaging created long-term emotional pain and confusion.
Sex therapy helps address and disarm that shame. It gives people a nonjudgmental, research-informed space to talk through beliefs they may have carried silently for years. It helps them reclaim their identity and their voice, both inside and outside the bedroom.
Cristine puts it like this:
“When someone is carrying sexual shame, it’s like putting a lid on a fountain. There is so much beauty and possibility in life—but shame keeps it from flowing. Sex therapy can help remove that lid.”
“But Talking About Sex Feels Embarrassing…”
That’s totally normal. Talking about sex can be awkward—especially if it’s not something you grew up feeling safe to talk about.
But here’s the thing: a certified sex therapist isn’t embarrassed. They’re trained to meet you exactly where you are, using language that feels comfortable to you. This isn’t like talking to your sibling or your friend—it’s clinical, but not cold. It’s supportive, private, and healing.
You’re still seen as a whole person. Your sexuality is just one part of who you are, and sex therapy gently integrates that part into the bigger picture of your emotional and relational health.
Finding the Right Therapist
If you’re ready to take the next step, it’s important to find a qualified, certified sex therapist—not just someone who is “sex positive” or “trauma informed.”
Cristine is a Christian Sex Therapist through ABCST and also holds a Christian perspective in her work. That’s another layer of personalization you can look for: there are many kinds of sex therapists out there—some who specialize in faith-based care, others who take a different approach. Just like any other kind of counseling, it’s about finding the right fit for you.
Ready to Begin Your Next Chapter?
At Next Chapter Counseling, we believe that healing happens through honesty, safety, and the courage to explore. If you're carrying shame, facing relational challenges, or just feeling stuck in your intimate life—you're not alone, and you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.
We’re here to walk with you through it.
Next Chapter Counseling | Rockwall, Texas
Start your journey toward healing and connection. Learn more here.
