When you first decide to see a therapist, it can be very overwhelming trying to research what sort of therapist is best for you and your unique therapy needs. There are many different therapeutic disciplines: integrative, psychodynamic, Gestalt, psychosexual, the list goes on! So what do all these terms mean? And how can you decide what is best for you?
One of the most important things to remember is that any label that a therapist uses to describe themselves is an approximation of their individual style, rather than a prescriptive box in which they sit. A Gestalt therapist (for example) means that they will have had Gestalt training, and will use Gestalt techniques with their clients when they feel as though it is therapeutically appropriate, but it doesn’t mean that they will only use Gestalt techniques. A key skill that therapists have is knowing when to use which techniques and skills in their toolbox, whatever discipline they primarily use.
An integrative therapist will use techniques from a wide variety of disciplines rather than having a preference for one. Most therapists will have training in multiple disciplines and will use aspects of them all, but an integrative therapist will decide what approach to take with each client on a case-by-case basis, as opposed to having a preference for one particular approach.
However, every therapist is different - you could go and see two therapists from the same discipline and have a completely different experience with each of them. That’s why it’s so important to speak to multiple therapists and see who you ‘click’ with (if you have the option to do this, of course - you likely won’t have this option if you access therapy through the NHS or through a charity).
Having said that, sex therapy and psychosexual therapy are slightly different to most other types of therapy as there is also a focus on physical problems and how these tie into emotional and romantic issues. COSRT (the College or Sexual and Relationship Therapists) gives the following example on their website:
For example, a physical effect of medical treatment might lead to changes in someone’s appearance. The person may be scared that others will be less attracted to them because of those physical changes. And in turn the person might develop psychological barriers to and a fear of intimacy. Those barriers and fears could negatively impact on relationships and sexual experiences. Whilst a medical professional would deal properly with the physical challenges faced, psychosexual therapy could be employed to tackle the related psychological problem.
Psychosexual therapy and sex therapy sounds as though they are two different disciplines, but there is actually no difference between them - they are one and the same! So regardless of if someone describes themselves as a sex therapist, a sex and relationship therapist, or as a psychosexual therapist they will have had a similar level of training around both physical and mental causes of sexual difficulties.
Sources:
NHS Website - ‘What Does a Sex Therapist Do?’
COSRT Website - ‘Psychosexual Therapy’
Tavistock Relationships - ‘When is psychosexual therapy an appropriate route for a couple?’ (Blog Post)
Tavistock Relationships - ‘Sex therapy or psychosexual therapy – what is the difference?’ (Blog Post)
