What is sex therapy?

This definitely doesn't involve having sex with a therapist, with a so-called surrogate partner or with your partner in front of a therapist. What it does involve is an opportunity to discuss your feelings about your sexual problem with a therapist and, ideally, with your partner too. This can help you understand the origins of your problem, and hopefully lead to the development of strategies to tackle it effectively. Sometimes sex therapy is used in conjunction with drug treatments, most often in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (impotence), and sometimes on its own.

Some sex therapists focus on so-called behavioural treatments to tackle sexual problems. Typically, this will involve asking a couple to spend time at home following exercises designed to improve communication and physical intimacy. After a few weeks or months, these may be followed by exercises which are designed to increase sexual confidence and which build up to a couple practicing their desired sexual activity.

Sex therapy has the advantages that it doesn't use drugs or surgery, often involves a man's partner and can improve a man's self-esteem and communication with his partner. It requires considerable commitment and motivation, however, but if these exist it is successful in up to 80% of cases. The main disadvantage of sex therapy is that it's not widely available (especially on the NHS), it's expensive if paid for privately, and is not as effective as some of the drug treatments for erectile dysfunction (impotence).