Sexuality and Sexual Concerns

Elyse Frankel

Clinical Psychologist

Would you like to explore your sexuality, resolve sexual concerns and achieve deeper sexual fulfillment? This can impact on your sense of self and on your relationships. Sexual problems can cause difficulties in many areas of our life.

Specific sexual problems include:

• Lack of sexual desire
  • lack of interest in sexual activity
• Sexual arousal problems
  • for women this can include partial or total lack of physical response
  • for men this may mean difficulty getting and/or maintaining an erection
• Difficulty with orgasms- never had an orgasm
  • occasional difficulty reaching orgasm
  • premature orgasm
• Sexual pain
  • dyspareunia usually reduces sexual arousal and desire, and interferes with reaching orgasm
• Sexual difficulties involve many factors, such as
  • family of origin and early messages about sex
  • relationship problems or conflict
  • communication within relationship
  • physical conditions including pain, illness, or disability
  • life cycle changes such as adolescence, pregnancy, breastfeeding, infertility, menopause
  • past sexual abuse or assault
  • body image
  • life stresses and changes
  • anxiety and/or depression
  • use of medication

Sexual problems are normal, and they impact on our lives in many ways. Once a sexual problem has existed for a while, it can cause feelings of inadequacy and insecurity, anxiety, resentment, disappointment, and this may lead to conflict within the relationship. Resolving sexual problems involves communication, a willingness to look at what the problems are and to do things differently.