Principles of Therapy in Sexual Medicine

Abstract

Chapter 6 vividly describes the principles of sexual therapy and sexual counselling on a step by step basis and distinguishes between a disease-centred and a patient-centred approach. Both constitute the dual role of the therapist as an expert and an attendant, encouraging the couple in its self-healing process, the therapist offering the necessary “sheltered workshop”. Compared with therapy, sexological counselling is different, having an informative-explanatory as well as an encouraging emphasis. It also means supporting the couple to find “their” solution and assisting them to find steps towards change. A key element of every sexological intervention is the “syndyastic focus” on the (re-)fulfilment of psychosocial elementary needs, always bearing in mind individual aspects such as age, lifestyle, sexual preference, medication, co-morbidity etc. Eventually an outlook for the future of (intimate) relationships is ventured and an overview is given on theory and practice of postgraduate training programs in sexual medicine.