What is a sex therapist and how to become one

A sex therapist is a mental health professional who assists clients in identifying and treating issues that affect their personal sex lives and relationships. Clients see sex therapists for a variety of reasons, mostly for challenges they face in current or intermittent relationships involving intimacy and sex.

Sex therapists are psychotherapists and may also have the title of marriage and family therapist. They often work with couples, married or partnered, in group and individual therapy sessions to help improve communication, understanding, and intimacy.

Common tasks performed by a sex therapist include speaking with clients to discuss and understand their needs and goals, creating treatment plans, listening to clients and offering guidance, conducting group therapy sessions, leading activities and performing demonstrations meant to help clients overcome their challenges, educating clients on different intimacy strategies, and keeping detailed records of client progress, and making adjustments to treatment plans when necessary.

Sex therapists may run their own independent practices or work for an organization that provides the service. They also can be found in some hospitals and other medical facilities. Sometimes they work as one unit of a team of therapists that are working with an individual client or couple.

Skills associated with this role include active listening, strong communication skills, conflict management and resolution, analytical skills, interpersonal skills, and critical thinking skills. Many sex therapists must also be adept at practicing compassion, empathy, discretion, and acceptance because their clients can often have complex issues hindering their sex lives.

To become a sex therapist, you must at least obtain a master's degree in psychology, family and marriage therapy, professional counseling, or another related field. Many sex therapists also seek a doctoral degree to work in their field, as this increases their expertise and opens them up to more job opportunities.

Most states also require sex therapists to be licensed in order to practice. The requirements can vary from state to state. A Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) license is one common license for sex therapists.