ABSTRACT
The elegantly simple and straightforward technique of Sensate Focus is a radical departure from our cultural scripts about how sex happens. During Sensate Focus, when people focus on anything other than touch sensations, they are encouraged to treat these other thoughts and feelings as distractions, and to refocus on the dependable, touch sensations in a mindful way and as often as necessary. The aspect of implementing Sensate Focus is identifying and managing distractions, especially those having to do with demands for the natural responses of arousal, pleasure, relaxation, and enjoyment. Practitioners use Sensate Focus for many reasons. One is identifying the psychological, relationship, lifestyle, and sociocultural issues that contribute to sexual difficulties. Other reasons include teaching new skills to remediate sexual issues, and also eventually facilitating more satisfying and meaningful sexual intimacy. Understanding and taking advantage of the concept and paradox of sex as a natural function, Masters and Johnson began helping people with sexual problems.
