What is the Difference Between Marriage Counseling and Sex Counseling?
If you’re married or in a serious relationship and you’re having relationship issues, you may not know exactly what type of specialist to reach out to for help. Two common types of relationship therapists that individuals reach out to are either marriage or sex therapists. However, “ if you are seeking help for issues related to your intimate relationships or sexuality, it may be important for you to know that sex therapists and couples therapists are not the same.” (good therapy) Couples therapists offer marriage counseling typically while sex therapists offer different types of sex counseling. It’s a common misconception that couples therapists discuss sex and intimacy issues and can provide sex counseling- only certain couples therapists are certified to provide sex counseling. In this sense, it’s important to know the differences between marriage counseling and sex counseling if you’re in need of relationship therapy.
Marriage Counseling
Marriage counseling “helps couples of all types recognize and resolve conflicts and improve their relationships.” (mayoclinic)
“Marriage counseling is often provided by licensed therapists known as marriage and family therapists. These therapists have graduate or postgraduate degrees — and many choose to become credentialed by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).”
It’s noted that marriage counseling can be used to treat a variety of different marital issues. “You can use marriage counseling to help with many specific issues, including:
- Communication problems
- Sexual difficulties
- Conflicts about child rearing or blended families
- Substance abuse
- Anger
- Infidelity” (mayoclinic)
In this sense, marriage counseling is more contingent on difficulties relating to the structure of a relationship. In this type of counseling, a patient can expect the following three things:
- “Open communication
- Problem-solving
- How to discuss differences rationally” (mayoclinic)
While sexual difficulties can be addressed in marriage counseling, they aren’t always. Moreover, sex counseling tends to deal with a wider range of sexual issues. Marriage counseling does not typically involve therapy regarding erectile dysfunction for example. Marriage therapy typically deals with relationship sexual difficulties in the context of intimacy and romantic connection rather than the actual act of sex itself.
Sex Counseling
Sex counseling is commonly referred to as sex therapy. Sex counseling “ is a form of counseling intended to help individuals and couples resolve sexual difficulties, such as performance anxiety or relationship problems.” (issm) However, sex counseling does not typically deal with the same type of relationship problems that couples therapy deals with. For example, if you go to marriage counseling you may discuss issues surrounding everyday relationship problems. In sex counseling though you will be discussing relationship difficulties that directly or indirectly impact your sex life with your partner(s) or yourself. Going off of that note, sex counseling does not always involve more than one person. Oftentimes, an individual may seek out sex counseling because of self- intimacy issues- something a marriage counselor would not be able to help someone with. Sex counseling is noted as dealing with the following:
- “low libido
- low confidence
- lack of response to sexual stimulus
- inability to reach orgasm
- excessive libido
- inability to control sexual behavior
- distressing sexual thoughts
- unwanted sexual fetishes
- Erectile dysfunction “ (healthline)
Sex therapy is similar to marriage counseling in the sense that it’s rooted in psychotherapeutic techniques, “You treat the condition by talking through your experiences, worries, and feelings.” (healthline) Moreover, sex therapy can be beneficial for married individuals, especially in instances of sexual dysfunction or helping a partner explore their sexuality while maintaining a healthy relationship structure.
So Which One is Right For You?
Even after learning about some of the differences between marriage counseling and sex counseling it can still be difficult to determine which one may be right for your current life situation.
“One way to determine if you need to see a sex therapist instead of another type of talk therapy is to analyze what parts of your life are the most affected by how you feel right now.” (healthline)
Overall, “If your quality of life and emotional health are greatly affected by your sexual dysfunction, it’s a good idea to see a sex therapist..” (healthline) If your quality of life and emotional health are greatly affected by communication issues or infidelity in your relationship then you may want to try couples counseling first, as that type of therapy is targeted for those types of relationship difficulties. At the end of the day, any type of relationship therapy has the potential to be beneficial for communication skills and intimacy. However, sometimes a specific type of therapy may be suitable for your needs than another. I recommend reaching out to any sort of therapist before setting up an initial consultation to ask them what the scope of their practice is and what issues they typically deal with in session to see if the therapist compliments your current needs!
By: Alyssa Morterud