ABSTRACT
The field of sex therapy appears to be gravitating towards what we believe is an overemphasis on the biological view, and we want to keep the psychological, relational, cultural, and spiritual work integrated with the biological. While there are many excellent publications on how to do sex therapy, there is nothing that has been published in any depth about the foundational centerpiece of sex therapy that is Sensate Focus. This chapter focuses on Sensate Focus with sexual dysfunctions, and describes some of the effects Sensate Focus can have on greatly improving sexual intimacy and overall relationship satisfaction. It refers to the concepts and techniques for resolving sexual dysfunctions as Sensate Focus 1. The chapter also refers to concepts and techniques for enhancing intimacy and relationship satisfaction as Sensate Focus 2. It shines the spotlight back on the psychological, relationship, lifestyle, and cultural factors influencing sexual dysfunctions in order to rebalance the current trend towards medicalization.
