Among the mental health professions, sex therapy is comparatively new. It was born in the 1960s, when pioneering sex researchers William Masters, M.D., and Virginia Johnson showed that a combination of three approaches—sex education, whole-body sensual massage (which Masters and Johnson called “sensate focus”), and specific sexual techniques—could resolve many sex problems, even those of long standing. Using the Masters-and-Johnson model and subsequent refinements, many women who had never had orgasms learned to enjoy them, and many men learned ejaculatory control and restored lost or flagging erections.

In this article:

• The Many Problems Sex Therapy Can Help
• The Research: Sex Therapy Usually Works
• What If One Partner Refuses to Go?
• What Happens? Duration? Cost?
• How To Find a Certified Sex Therapist Near You

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