Sex therapy is intended for all individuals who are experiencing sexual or relationship difficulties, or who simply wish to improve their sex and love life. Below is a non-exhaustive list of reasons why a person like you and me might seek the services of a sexologist.

Sexual Dysfunctions:

• Problems related to sexual desire (lack of or absence of desire in general or towards one’s partner, loss of desire following the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, a depression, etc.);
  
  
• Sexual arousal difficulties (lack of lubrication or of feeling aroused);
  
  
• Erectile problems (inability to have an erection in all or specific situations, partial erection but insufficient for penetration, loss of erection during sex);
  
  
• Difficulty or inability to reach orgasm;
  
  
• Ejaculatory problems (premature or delayed ejaculation, painful ejaculation or absence of pleasure upon ejaculation);
  
  
• Pain during sex or dyspareunia (pain to the vulva or painful intercourse, vulvar vertibulitis);
  
  
• Vaginismus (involuntary contraction of the vaginal muscles preventing intercourse or making intercourse difficult);
  
  
• Sexual aversions or phobias (feeling of disgust or panic towards sex or specific sexual behaviors).
  
  

Relationship problems:

• Conflicts related to sex within the couple (mismatched or discrepant sexual styles or interests, whether it’s about frequency of sex, sexual preferences, ways in which one initiates sex, etc.);
  
  
• Concerns related to maintaining the quality of sexual relations within the context of a long-term relationship;
  
  
• Love addiction or co-dependency issues;
  
  
• Dissatisfying relationship patterns or difficulty in establishing significant intimate relationships;
  
  
• Excessive jealousy, mistrust or need to control one’s partner;
  
  
• Infidelity or difficulty in re-establishing trust within the couple.
  
  

Paraphilias or sexual behaviors which one feels are inappropriate:

• Addiction to pornography or cybersex;
  
  
• Addiction to sexual services: prostitutes, erotic massage parlours;
  
  
• Compulsive sexual behavior: excessive masturbation, multiple sex partners, excessive frequentation of bathhouses;
  
  
• Difficulty adopting and maintaining safe sexual practices;
  
  
• Fetishism, cross-dressing, voyeurism, exhibitionism, sadomasochism, coprophilia;
  
  
• Sexual fantasies with which one is uncomfortable or that are of an obsessive nature.
  
  

Sexually traumatic experiences:

• Incest, sexual and psychological abuse, rape, sexual harassment;
  
  
• Uncontrollable automatic reactions during sex: flashbacks, feelings of panic, dissociation or feeling of “leaving one’s body”, discomfort or disgust towards certain forms of touch or sexual acts;
  
  
• Difficulty in adapting and living with a diagnosis of HIV, herpes or with all other sexually transmitted infections (fear, shame, issues surrounding the search for new sexual partners and revealing one’s diagnosis).
  

Difficulties related to sexual orientation or gender identity:

• Issues related to sexual orientation: uneasiness, confusion, shame, “coming out” issues, family conflicts;
  
  
• Gender identity disorder or transexualism.