Sex & Sexuality
Esther Perel on Working with Sexuality to Transform Relationships
And Busting Myths about Today’s RelationshipsObserve relationship expert Esther Perel in action as she helps couples navigate infidelity, incompatibility, and the impacts of childhood trauma. Read more
The Myth of Low Sexual Desire
Updating Our Ideas about Erotic Well-BeingGreat sex over the long term is not about how much you want sex; it’s about how much you like the sex you’re having. Read more
Igniting the Spark
You Don’t Have to be a Sex Therapist to Treat Low DesireYou don't have to be a sex therapist to help your clients with diminished sexual desire. Read more
Tammy Nelson shares the journey of how she became a leading expert in the field of sex therapy and what she learned about couples and intimacy along the way. Read more
When One Partner Is Kinky...
Cracking Open the ConversationHaving an erotic craving that seems shocking to a partner doesn’t have to be a death knell for a relationship. Read more
Embracing Gender-Pleasure
How to Feel Yummy in Our BodiesFor trans folks, attuning to gender-pleasure allows them to resist harmful cultural scripts—but it can be a radical act of resistance for cis folks too. Read more
Daring to Dance
How Can We Help Women Take Pleasure?Pleasure-taking connects women to their bodies, roots them in the present, and fosters resilience. What could be blocking today's women from such a seemingly... Read more
Sexual Intimacy and the Aging Client
A Conversation with Dr. Regina KoeppBased on her article from our September/October issue, Dr. Regina Koepp talks about how to have "the talk" with your aging couple clients. Read more
“Be Yourself—But Don’t”
Mixed Messages from a Mother to Her Gay SonWhat happens when loving mothers of gay sons unknowingly send them mixed messages about being themselves? Read more
Getting at the Heart of Affairs
How to Help Clients Examine Ethical DilemmasA seasoned therapist discusses the ethics around consulting with couples impacted by infidelity. Read more
Dealing with Jealousy in Open Relationships
Finding CompersionMany people assume that an open relationship will cause jealousy in both partners. Historically, it has been assumed that pair-bonded individuals who are... Read more
Surrogate Partner Therapy
Crossing Lines or Expanding Boundaries?The debate around surrogate partner therapy. Read more
Sex Post-Covid
Healing the RiftsLockdown provoked a wide range of emotions among partnered people, including an increase in anxiety, fear, loneliness, boredom and frustration. It’s been... Read more
Gender-Affirmative Therapy for Kids
What Parents Need to KnowSupporting transgender children doesn’t always mean rushing toward medical intervention. Read more
Gender-Affirmative Therapy
Helping Transgender Clients Begin Their JourneyThe key elements of gender-affirmative therapy for clients who are medically or socially transitioning. Read more
VIDEO: The Dance of Healthy Connection
Sue Johnson on EFT and Attachment TheoryWhat does Attachment Theory tell us? That emotion is the most powerful force in the therapy room, says couples therapist Sue Johnson, developer of Emotionally... Read more
Broken Mirrors
From Storytelling 2020When we can acknowledge the dark forces that reside within us. Read more
Dating at Midlife
A Road Map for Newly Single ClientsHelping clients who find themselves single again in midlife navigate a new world of dating. Read more
VIDEO: Attachment Theory in 9 Minutes
Sue Johnson Breaks Down the Core TenetsPerhaps now more than ever, maintaining strong relationships is crucial to our emotional well-being. In this video clip from the 2020 Virtual Symposium, EFT... Read more
VIDEO: Doing Your Best Work with LGBTQ Clients
The Myth of Sex Addiction, Common Mistakes, and MoreIs the sex addiction model doing more harm than good? What's the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity? And what are the most common... Read more
VIDEO: Susan Johnson on Restoring the Spark
Finding Your "Secure Base"Couples therapist Susan Johnson explains how, by establishing a "secure base," to restore both an emotional and physical spark in a relationship. Read more
VIDEO: Esther Perel on the New Landscape of Love
What Role Do Therapists Play?Our relational lives are undergoing a radical shift, says couples therapist Esther Perel, bestselling author of The State of Affairs and Mating in Captivity... Read more
After the Affair
Two Case Studies Illustrate the Opportunities Moving ForwardThis article first appeared in the May/June 1989 issue. Back in the 1950s, Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, Hollywood’s perfect young couple, shocked... Read more
Finding the Path Back
Couples Therapy After an AffairEditor’s Note: This blog is excerpted from a piece that originally appeared in our September/October 1994 issue, Parents Under Siege. Do you think its... Read more
When Straight Men Have Sex with Men
Understanding the Difference Between Sexual Identity, Preference, and FantasyWhen a male client in a heterosexual relationship confesses that he has sex with men, the therapist must understand he's not necessarily closeted. Read more
VIDEO: What Therapists Need to Know About Working with LGBTQ+ Clients
How We Think About Gender and Sexuality is Changing at "Warp Speed"Today’s LGBTQ+ community has exploded in size, and therapists working in progressive, urban communities will likely see clients whose approach to sex... Read more
What Greg Taught Me
From Symposium Storytelling Evening 2019"Even though I’d been out as a gay man for decades, I still felt disgust at my erotic interests. Although several therapists over the years had told me I... Read more
Fully Present Sex
How Mindfulness Can Heighten Desire, Arousal, and SatisfactionWhen sex becomes fraught or painful, fear and worries can overtake this important source of pleasure. But clinicians and clients are embracing a nonmedical... Read more
VIDEO: Breaking Rigid Thinking Around Intimacy
A Three-Part Solution for Couples TherapySex therapist Suzanne Iasenza talks about a three-part process that helps couples free themselves from the rigid narratives about sex that keep them from... Read more
VIDEO: The 3 Keys to Helping Clients Navigate Sexual Problems
You Don't Need to Be an Expert to Help Clients Get "Dumb and Happy"Sex and relationship therapist Stephen Snyder talks with Psychotherapy Networker's Lauren Dockett about three simple things to do when you find yourself... Read more