When to Seek Out Sexual Health Counseling

Sex is rarely talked about openly – with friends, family members, or even between partners. As a result, people can be uneducated about symptoms of sexual health problems, and ways to resolve them.

According to the American Sexual Health Association, fewer than one in four couples feel they are able to be open and honest with their partners about their sex lives. Sexual health counseling can help people to overcome concerns and enjoy a more fulfilling intimate relationship to sex.

Maureen Slattery, MD, is an OB/GYN provider at Clinton Crossings in Brighton, and is certified by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) as a sexual health counselor. She explains how sexual health counseling works, and how people can benefit from it. 

What is sexual health counseling?

Sexual health counseling is a way for people to find help with concerns they may have about their sex life. This includes preventing, diagnosing, and treating STDs and pregnancy prevention, but also communication about sex and sexual expression.

While similar to sex therapy, sexual health counseling has more of a short-term focus and is not as intensive. A provider will talk with a patient longer than they would for a standard office visit and work out solutions for any problems that the patient might bring up.

Sexual health counseling is done in a one-on-one session in a counseling office with comfortable furniture and a relaxed environment designed to put people at ease. The goal of sexual health counseling is to provide all-encompassing care for each person’s sexual health needs.

Healthcare providers who are AASECT certified like Dr. Slattery are specially trained and have gone through 1,000 hours of additional education with many hours of supervised training to offer to help people with sexual health problems.

“We are problem focused in things that might be bothering you about your sexual health or your sexuality,” Dr. Slattery said.

How sexual health counseling can help

While some people may have trouble talking with others about sex, it is important to know that sexual health concerns are common.

Some concerns might include:

• change in sex drive or desire
• trouble with lubrication
• inability to orgasm
• changes in becoming aroused
• interpersonal conflicts

Sexual health counseling helps to educate people not only about anatomy and physiology of the body in relationship to sex, but also how to express what a person may want or need – and what they may not want or need – from an intimate relationship.

“I meet people where they are and my goal is to help them because, when they are struggling with their sexual relationships, it can truly impact their whole life,” Dr. Slattery said.