ABSTRACT
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Sexual Dysfunction (CBCST) addresses the biopsychosocial causes and effects of sexual dysfunction (SD) through accurate and reasonable understanding of the female body, sexual response, subjective and objective arousal, and interpersonal dynamics affecting the sexual relationship. Comprehensive treatment requires appreciation of the biological, psychological, interpersonal, and social factors that negatively affect the woman and her sexual relationship. Women and men experience a similar physiological arousal sequence, although psychological and relational factors are somewhat different. Human sexual response is a dynamic combination of cognitive, emotional and physiological processes. Women's minds and genitals respond differently to sexual arousal than men's. In 2010, Chivers, Seto, Lalumiere, Lann, and Grimbos studied the degree to which the experience of arousal mirrors physiological genital activity. Forms of relaxation training have long been considered a crucial component of cognitive-behavioral therapies. Effective treatment of female SD requires that her partner acknowledges and affirms her distressed emotions and conveys empathy and support.
