She (we’ll call her Janice, age 41) was unhappy with her husband (we’ll call him Pat, 42). After several years of his inability to sustain an erection, she started blaming herself and lost confidence in her sexual appeal. She began to doubt the value of their marriage and decided to see a sex therapist for counsel.
After her first few sessions with Rhode Island-based certified sexologist and sexuality educator Megan Andelloux, BS, Janice gained the courage to ask Pat to see a doctor to rule out a medical condition. That turned out to be the case: He had weight issues that were affecting blood flow (which can cause erectile dysfunction). At Andelloux’s suggestion, the couple began to explore intimacy not based solely on erections, while Pat worked to lose weight and improve his overall health. For Janice and Pat, it was a new beginning. For Andelloux, it was another day at the office.
Which raises the question: Just what goes on behind the doors of a certified sexologist?
Sex Therapy, Talk Therapy
While any title that contains the word sex may sound provocative, what happens in the offices of certified sex educators, counselors, and therapists is all about talk, much like any other form of therapy and counseling. “We are not allowed to touch our clients, nor would we consider doing so,” Andelloux says. “No sex ever takes place in a sex therapist’s office.”
Her office is a venue for clients struggling with any range of sexual issues to feel completely safe and candid in discussing and working on these problems. “It could be about two people having different levels of desire,” she says. “We see everything from couples dealing with aging and changes in sexual functioning, to women dealing with rape trauma…
Read more: Tracy Minkin, WebMD
