What Is Sex Therapy? A Clinical Approach to Healing Sexuality and Intimacy
Sexuality is an integral part of the human experience. But for many, it’s also a source of distress, confusion, or disconnection especially for those navigating marginalized identities, cultural stigma, or past experiences of trauma. Sex therapy offers a therapeutic space to explore these challenges in a way that is affirming, inclusive, and grounded in both clinical expertise and cultural humility.
At Therapy Brooklyn, we provide sex therapy that recognizes the intersections of identity, mental health, and relational dynamics. Our goal is to support your sexual wellbeing as part of your overall emotional and psychological health without shame, stigma, or assumptions.
What Is Sex Therapy?
Sex therapy is a specialized form of psychotherapy that addresses concerns related to sexual functioning, desire, identity, intimacy, and relationships. It integrates evidence-based therapeutic approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and somatic awareness with clinical understanding of sexual health and behavior.
Sessions may focus on individual or relational concerns, and are always talk-based. There is no physical examination or sexual activity involved.
Our clinicians are trained to address the psychological, relational, cultural, and physiological dimensions of sexuality. We understand that sexuality cannot be separated from broader contexts such as race, gender, culture, body, and power.
Who Can Benefit from Sex Therapy?
Sex therapy is appropriate for individuals, couples, and people in consensual non-monogamous or alternative relationship structures. We work with clients across the spectrum of sexual and gender identities, with special attention to how systemic oppression including racism, homophobia, transphobia, fatphobia, and ableism can impact sexual health and self-expression.
Common concerns we address include:
Sexual dissatisfaction, including low desire, difficulty with arousal, erectile dysfunction, anorgasmia, and pelvic pain (e.g., vaginismus, dyspareunia)
Sexual trauma recovery, including support for survivors of assault, abuse, or medical trauma
Identity exploration, such as navigating gender identity, sexual orientation, or internalized shame
Interpersonal and relational issues, including infidelity, communication breakdowns, and attachment disruptions
Anxiety and shame related to performance, pleasure, or religious/cultural conditioning
Sexuality in the context of mental health diagnoses, chronic illness, or life transitions
Intersectional stressors affecting BIPOC, queer, trans, nonbinary, and neuro-divergent clients
Sex therapy is also a space for exploration not just resolution. You don’t need to be in crisis to seek support. Many clients come to deepen intimacy, reconnect with pleasure, or unlearn internalized beliefs that restrict sexual agency.
Our Approach: Affirming, Intersectional, and Trauma-Informed
At Therapy Brooklyn, our clinicians are committed to anti-oppressive, client-centered care. We view sexuality as complex, contextual, and deeply impacted by systems of power and identity.
We bring an intersectional lens to our work acknowledging how racism, colonization, white supremacy culture, and heteronormativity shape both our inner experiences and external relationships. We also understand that for BIPOC, queer, disabled, and immigrant clients, healing may include reclaiming pleasure as a form of resistance and resilience.
Our sex therapists are:
LGBTQIA+ affirming
Kink-aware and sex-positive
Trained in trauma-informed care
Culturally responsive and committed to ongoing self-reflection
Welcoming of all bodies, genders, and relational constellations
We tailor therapy to your goals, your pace, and your lived experience.
Getting Started
Reaching out for sex therapy can bring up fear or hesitation especially if you've experienced judgment, dismissal, or harm in healthcare spaces before. We honor that. Our practice is committed to creating a therapeutic environment rooted in safety, affirmation, and respect.
Whether you're seeking relief from distress, healing from trauma, or simply looking to cultivate a more authentic sexual self, you are welcome here.
📞 Book a free consultation to connect with a therapist who understands that your sexuality is shaped by more than biology and that you deserve care that sees the full picture.
References:
Healthline. (2023). Sex Therapy: What It Is, What to Expect, and How to Find a Sex Therapist
Thomas, A. J., Witherspoon, K. M., & Speight, S. L. (2004). Toward the Development of the Stereotypic Roles for Black Women Scale. Journal of Black Psychology, 30(3), 426–442.
Nadal, K. L. (2017). Microaggressions and Traumatic Stress: Theory, Research, and Clinical Treatment. APA.
