What kills desire in long-term relationships, and how do you help clients with desire discrepancy find one another again? Desire may be mysterious, but relational dynamics that block it--like pressure for sex, managing sex pain, and sexual performance issues--are very predictable. Learn how to identify and work effectively with these tough but common blocks so that desire can bloom again. You’ll gain clinical tools for depathologizing desire differences, starting a collaborative conversation about pleasure, and helping partners build the skills to stay flexible and connected through sexual challenges.
Learning Objectives:
1.Participants will be able to list at least 3 things that reliably suppress sexual desire.
2. Participants will be able to describe at least three core skills couples need in order to handle sexual challenges well.
3. Participants will be able to describe the use of the Dual Control Model of Arousal for starting a conversation between partners about desire that is depathologizing.
4. Participants will be able to describe at least one strategy for working with relational dynamics involving subtle (or not so subtle) pressure for sex.
Martha Kauppi believes that relationships (with yourself, your family, your partner, your culture, your community) form the context for life and provide some of the richest material for both joy and struggle. Improving any of our relationships improves every aspect of life. She is skilled in relationship, family, and couple counselor, and love working with people who are addressing family relationship challenges, improving couple communication, or exploring improved intimate connection.