Who are sex therapy and relationship/marriage therapy patients?
Persons involved in relationship or marriage counseling may or may not have problems with sexual functioning. None of these persons should be considered patients rather they are clients.
For relationship/marriage counseling, the person providing the service should begin with both an individual assessment and a couple assessment to identity the areas which are problematic. Once the issues have been defined, strategies for addressing the issues are outlined and agreed to by the participants. Marriage Counseling can be provided by Social Workers, Marriage, Family Therapists, Licensed Professional Counselors, Chapllins, Pastoral Counselors or Ministers as well as Psylchologists and Psychiatrists.
Anyone can seek help for sexual dysfunctions. A short list of dysfunctions include delayed ejaculation, erectile failure, premature ejaculation, vaginismus and frigidity. These disorders may or may not have a psychological or physiological basis. For example, vaginismus may result from anxiety and erectile failure may be related to medication for hypertension. Therefore, only persons trained specifically in Human Sexuality should be consulted to assess or treat these disorders.
