Sex Therapy

Cate Campbell is a sex, relationships and trauma therapist, accredited by the College of Sexual & Relationship Therapists and the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy. She has taught for many years, including writing and delivering courses for Relate and the Foundation for Counselling & Relationship Studies and was a visiting lecturer at University College London. She now delivers ad hoc training for organisations like Relate and COSRT. She is also a clinical supervisor and author of Contemporary Sex Therapy (2020, Routledge) and Love and Sex in a New Relationship (2018, Routledge). She co-presents an informative and entertaining podcast, The Real Sex Education.

• Introduction  1. What is Sex Therapy?  2. Problems  3. Solutions  4. Sexuality and Gender Identity  5. Specialist Areas  6. Professionalism

'Aided by lively case studies, the author explores how emotional, relationship and societal pressures may affect sexual confidence, pleasure and functioning. Medical interventions tend to focus purely on the physical issue. Emphasising that sex is about much more than "successful" intercourse, and that sex therapy is about much more than "fixing" the dysfunction, she provides a thorough examination of the different types of sex therapy on offer – from appropriate information-giving to the training and work of a qualified psychosexual therapist.'Marian O'Connor is a psychosexual therapist, couple psychoanalytic psychotherapist and former head of MSc in Psychosexual Therapy, Tavistock Relationships'Cate's chapter on professionalism addresses the issues of being a psychosexual therapist with a "down to earth" no-nonsense approach, making it very easy to integrate this advice into professional practice. In particular, I was struck by her highlighting the effect that our chosen profession can have on our families, colleagues, personal and professional relationships, and the fantasies and projections they may have about our work. Very sound advice from a very experience professional, and ideal reading for experienced psychosexual therapists and students alike.'Jo Coker is a counselling psychologist and COSRT Professional Standards Manager 'Sex Therapy: The Basics is a courageous attempt to wrestle sex and relationship matters away from the specialist professionals – a decided minority – and to restore them to the vast group of health professionals dealing with them on a day-to-day basis. Her publication treads a fine line between accessibility and the necessary nuances required by this important field. The inclusion of professional issues as well as diversity themes is particularly laudable. As course director of a national training organisation focusing on sex and relationships, I welcome this pioneering work and consider it essential reading.' Bernd Leygraf is a consultant psychotherapist and CEO of the Naos Institute