[Swimmersusan]

Is anyone familiar with sexual aversion disorder? I have been reading up on it quite a bit and feel it's something I've struggled with for all my life. I would really like to bring it up with my T and have mentioned fear of touch in general but after reading up I really want to talk about it more.
Yeah thing is from what I have read, it seems that you need to talk to a therapist who specialises in sex! So really I just would like any thoughts on whether you think a regular T would be able to help with this, or will they just direct me to a sex T which I don't really feel comfortable with.

Only yesterday in session I talked about sexual issues with my T. I found it really difficult & incredibly embarrassing, but it did help me. I'm not sure if I too have this disorder or whether it's just a result of being SA as a child. I'm now in a relationship & I am struggling again! My past ways of coping was to get at least 2 bottles of wine down my neck first & then just dissociate. I am female & I have a male T & I think in a way, that helps & he's quite old too & I think that helps. He was just so supportive & although I find it incredibly difficult to talk about, he made it easier for me.

[ShashaCruz]

my T always ask about my sex life especially any experience i had since last visit. i don't get embarrassed. he is a general practice psychological T

[ElectricManatee]

I'm not familiar with sexual aversion disorder, but it seems like it would be worth bringing up with your T, even just to ask whether that's an okay topic to discuss. I think this kind of thing would be within my T's wheelhouse, and she is not a sex therapist. I have talked to her about sex/bodies/reproductive health issues before, and she assured me that it's okay and that she talks to a lot of people about a lot of different things. (Somehow her saying that feels like a challenge to try to shock her, but maybe that's just me...) I do think it becomes easier to talk about sexual things the more you do it.

[Moment]

I don't think you need to necessarily talk to a therapist who specializes in sex. I talk about sex, and such feelings, with my elderly male therapist and it has been helpful.

[Moment]

Wendy Maltz's book, The Sexual Healing Journey, was interesting to me to read. It is primarily addressed to sexual abuse survivors, but also talks about how the exercises and ideas in the book can be used by anyone.
I just talked to my regular therapist and read books like this and it was helpful.

[SoConfused623]

Thank you for your post. I am not familiar with this disorder and think that I might have the opposite disorder, whatever that would be.

I absolutely think that you should talk to this T about it. Many, many people talk about sex with their T's and I don't think that they need to be a sex therapist in order to help. I talk about sex and sexual issues all of the time and while it can be soooo embarrassing, my T has been a champ! I always feel better after I talk with her!

I asked her what she'd do if we had completely different beliefs or values and she said that T's are used to talking about these sorts of things but if what I wanted to talk about was so far away from her belief or value system that she'd let me know that she didn't think that she could help and help me find someone who could. So, it's definitely worth it to try to explore this with your T, cuz they can always let you know if they can't help.

GOOD LUCK!

[Swimmersusan]

Thank you all so much for your replies!

I think I will follow the advice given and just bring it up however embarrassing it is and just see what happens! My T has also been nothing but supportive and I'm sure this will be no different once I get some courage.

My therapist and I talk about sex, but I am there for trauma therapy (many years of sexual abuse and rape) so its something that comes up anyway. I would hope that any therapist would be comfortable talking about sex, not just a specialist.

[nyc artist]

I talk to my T about sex. He's doesn't specialize in sex therapy, but he is a trauma T and it kind of just goes with the territory. I am still embarrassed about it though, he completely gets it, and if I have trouble verbalizing I write/draw it. Do you think it would help to write about it at first?