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	<title>Dr Dick&#039;s Sex Advice &#187; Sex and Relationships</title>
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	<copyright>Copyright © by Richard Wagner, 2006-2011 </copyright>
	<managingEditor>dr_dick@drdicksexadvice.com (Richard Wagner, Ph.D., ACS)</managingEditor>
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	<category>Sex and Relationsip Advice, Gay, Bi, Straight, Women and Men</category>
	<ttl>1440</ttl>
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		<title>Dr Dick&#039;s Sex Advice</title>
		<link>http://www.drdicksexadvice.com</link>
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	<itunes:subtitle>Sex Advice With An Edge</itunes:subtitle>
	<itunes:summary>Sex and Relationship Advice Podcasts with Dr Dick</itunes:summary>
	<itunes:keywords>sex, sex, advice, gay, straight, bisexual, sexual, concerns</itunes:keywords>
	<itunes:category text="Health">
		<itunes:category text="Sexuality" />
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	<itunes:category text="Society &#38; Culture" />
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	<itunes:author>Richard Wagner, Ph.D., ACS</itunes:author>
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		<itunes:name>Richard Wagner, Ph.D., ACS</itunes:name>
		<itunes:email>dr_dick@drdicksexadvice.com</itunes:email>
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	<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
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		<item>
		<title>A potpourri of poignant problems</title>
		<link>http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2012/02/03/a-potpourri-of-poignant-problems/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2012/02/03/a-potpourri-of-poignant-problems/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:39:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>dr dick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Discussing Sexual Issues]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Ejaculation Concerns]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Sexual Frustration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wet Dreams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ejaculation]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Masturbation]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/?p=9666</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Name: Catherine Joanne 
Gender: Female 
Age: 42 
Location: Canada, Alberta 
I am in a very loving, understanding, compassionate relationship, which I have been waiting for for some time now. The only thing is he stimulates <a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2012/02/03/a-potpourri-of-poignant-problems/">Continue reading</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Name: <strong>Catherine Joanne</strong><br />
Gender: Female<br />
Age: 42<br />
Location: Canada, Alberta<br />
I am in a very loving, understanding, compassionate relationship, which I have been waiting for for some time now. The only thing is he stimulates my emotional side in every way, but in the bedroom he is not as sexual as previous partners I have encountered. I do not know if this is because all my previous relationships have always been about the &#8220;sex&#8221; and fizzled out, shortly there after, or this is how a &#8220;real love thing truly is?&#8221; If so, how can I mentally get over this one&#8230;he’s just not inventive, or has a lack of sexual knowledge. I don’t want to end this loving relationship over the bed issue. Please help me out on this one, so I do not sabotage this relationship. Sincerely, Catherine</p>
<p>Like my momma always used to say, if it has four wheels or a dick, you <a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/unmentionables.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-9667" style="margin: 10px;" title="unmentionables" src="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/unmentionables-232x350.jpg" alt="" width="232" height="350" /></a>know you’re gonna have trouble with it. Listen darlin’, if this guy satisfies as much as you say, hold on to him. He’s a keeper.</p>
<p>You can always teach the old dog some new tricks. Of course, you’re gonna have to take the lead in his sex ed. Let’s just hope he’s not threatened by a woman who is more sexually experienced, adventurous and progressive than he is.</p>
<p>That being said, I think you ought to make your peace with the fact that he’ll probably never become a wild fuck. But then again, you probably don’t want that, because those wild fucks don’t make for loving, understanding and compassionate partners…as you already know.</p>
<p>Just remember: It’s as hard to domesticate a wild fuck, as it is to make a domestic fuck — wild!</p>
<p>Good luck</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Name: <strong>Jamie</strong><br />
Gender: Female<br />
Age: 28<br />
Location: Georgia<br />
Lately when me and my boyfriend have sex, he&#8217;s been pulling out because he says his dick burns. WHY IS HE HAVING THAT PROBLEM?</p>
<p>What you got goin&#8217; on in your pussy, girl? Nothing about a healthy cunt is gonna irritate a guy’s dong. SEE YOUR DOCTOR RIGHT AWAY!</p>
<p>Hey wait a minute! Maybe he’s the one with the problem. Maybe he has some kind of a skin irritation or rash or something. And his willie is gettin irritated inside you. HE OUGHTA SEE HIS DOCTOR RIGHT AWAY!</p>
<p>Say, have you seen his dick up close and in good light lately…ever? I am painfully aware that lots of couples never see one another fully naked even when their doin’ the nasty. This is not a good practice. You should not only know all about your own pussy and how to keep it in perfect working order, but you should have some working knowledge of how a healthy cock looks and operates. If you’re not clear on this you have some homework to do.</p>
<p>And what the fuck are you two doin screwin’ around without using a condom? Are you on the pill? You’d better be. Cuz if you ain’t ya’ll are gonna have a whole lot more to worry about than cock burns, if ya catch my drift.</p>
<p>Good luck</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/VDMyQ.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-9668 alignnone" style="margin: 10px;" title="VDMyQ" src="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/VDMyQ-457x500.jpg" alt="" width="457" height="500" /></a></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Name: <strong>Chris P</strong>.<br />
Gender: Male<br />
Age: 21<br />
Location: Montgomery AL<br />
Can it be unhealthy to deliberately avoid male ejaculation for long periods of time? Months, Years? Is it practiced maybe by religious? Can it be done?</p>
<p>Yes, it can be done. And no, it’s not necessarily an unhealthy practice! <a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/hand-foreskin.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-9669" style="margin: 15px;" title="hand &amp; foreskin" src="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/hand-foreskin-350x350.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="350" /></a> Some people practice total sexual abstinence for their entire adult life. Some of these people do so for religious reasons, others simply because they aren’t particularly interested in sex. Either way, there’s no real evidence that this practice is injurious to one’s health. What I can say for sure is that if one chooses or embraces sexual abstinence as a means to a higher goal, it is virtuous. If abstinence is mandated or practiced out of fear or repression, there is no virtue.</p>
<p>That being said, I do want to remind you of something I’ve written about a lot recently. It concerns the groundbreaking research on the connection between masturbation and prostate cancer. Australian researchers questioned over 1,000 men who had developed prostate cancer and 1,250 men who had not, about their sexual habits. They found those who ejaculated the most between the ages of 20 and 50 were least likely to develop prostate cancer.</p>
<p>The protective effect of frequent ejaculations was greatest when the men were in their 20’s. Get this; men who ejaculated more than five times a week were one third less likely to develop prostate cancer later in life. Kind of amazing, huh?</p>
<p>I think you should also know that even if you don’t purposely ejaculate, like through jerkin off or partnered sex, your body still needs to rid itself of old stale semen in another way. Think of it like this, when your bladder gets full you take a wiz. When your prostate and seminal vesicles get full you take a jizz. It’s as simple and natural as all that. If you don’t relieve yourself of your joy juice on your own, your body will rid itself of your old spooge in a wet dream, or it will flush it out of your system in your urine. It’s like if you didn’t relieve yourself when your bladder got full, you’d piss anyhow, only it wouldn’t be able to properly direct it. Get it? Got it? Good!</p>
<p>Good luck</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Coming Soon &#8211; Healthy Loving Institute</title>
		<link>http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2012/02/01/coming-soon-healthy-loving-institute/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2012/02/01/coming-soon-healthy-loving-institute/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:52:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>dr dick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Being a Better Lover]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Discussing Sexual Issues]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[SEX TOY AWARENESS]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Spicing Up Your Sex Life]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[GiveAway]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/?p=9654</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hey there sex fans! 
 
I have some wonderful news. The Castle Megastore and I have teamed up to bring the Healthy Loving Institute to the Puget Sound Area.  Our first presentation is on February <a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2012/02/01/coming-soon-healthy-loving-institute/">Continue reading</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hey there sex fans!</p>
<p>I have some wonderful news. The <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CastleMegastoreGroup" target="_blank">Castle Megastore</a> and I have teamed up to bring the <a href="http://healthylovinginstitute.com/" target="_blank">Healthy Loving Institute</a> to the Puget Sound Area.  Our first presentation is on <strong>February 9th at 7:00pm in their</strong> <a href="http://www.castlemegastore.com/locations/details/castle-megastore-tacoma/washington/" target="_blank">Tacoma store</a>.  Come on out and join the fun.  I&#8217;m looking forward to meeting you.</p>
<p>What is the <a href="http://healthylovinginstitute.com/" target="_blank">Healthy Loving Institute</a>?</p>
<ul>
<li>The <a href="http://healthylovinginstitute.com/" target="_blank">Healthy Loving Institute</a> is a fun and interactive way for our customers to explore and enrich their romantic, intimate and sexual selves.</li>
<li>The <a href="http://healthylovinginstitute.com/" target="_blank">Healthy Loving Institute</a> is a series of monthly workshops hosted by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CastleMegastoreGroup" target="_blank">Castle Megastore</a> and conducted by community-based Human Sexuality Professionals and Subject Matter Experts.</li>
<li><a href="http://healthylovinginstitute.com/" target="_blank">Healthy Loving Institute</a> brings you university-educated professionals in the field of human sexuality. Each is a renowned and accredited educator, therapist or counselor. And each serves individuals, couples and families right here in our community.</li>
<li>The <a href="http://healthylovinginstitute.com/" target="_blank">Healthy Loving Institute</a> also includes presentations from local Subject Matter Experts, who specialize in diverse areas of love and sex play.</li>
<li>The <a href="http://healthylovinginstitute.com/" target="_blank">Healthy Loving Institute</a> invites your participation, feedback and suggestions to help us shape future workshop topics.</li>
</ul>
<p>If you want to have fun learning how to improve your romantic life, deepen your intimate life and enrich your sex life, then you won’t want to miss these FREE workshops.  You&#8217;ll be delighted to know there will be lots of surprises and gift giveaways too.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://healthylovinginstitute.com/" target="_blank"><img class="size-full wp-image-9656 alignnone" style="margin: 10px;" title="smallHLI Mini Banner-DrDick" src="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/smallHLI-Mini-Banner-DrDick.jpg" alt="" width="382" height="600" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Teenage Sexual Assault</title>
		<link>http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2012/01/25/teenage-sexual-assault/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2012/01/25/teenage-sexual-assault/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:26:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>dr dick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Birth Control]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/?p=9621</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Name: TC 
Gender: Female 
Age: 13 
Location: indiana 
I really dont know that much about sex, so i let my boyfriend do it all. He keeps calling me a scardy cat cuz i wont touch <a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2012/01/25/teenage-sexual-assault/">Continue reading</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Name: <strong>TC</strong><br />
Gender: Female<br />
Age: 13<br />
Location: indiana<br />
I really dont know that much about sex, so i let my boyfriend do it all. He keeps calling me a scardy cat cuz i wont touch his dick or give him any pleasure, and he is getting really bored with me</p>
<p>I am so sorry to hear of the trouble you are having with your boyfriend. Actually, he’s no friend at all. Real friends honor their friend’s limits and boundaries, and he’s not doing that.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/AbusiveBoyfriend1.jpg"><img class="wp-image-9622 alignnone" style="margin: 10px;" title="AbusiveBoyfriend1" src="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/AbusiveBoyfriend1.jpg" alt="" width="405" height="243" /></a></p>
<p>You can’t be expected, at your tender age, to know much about sex. Hell, you don’t even sound like you are particularly interested in the topic. You don’t mention your boyfriend’s age, but it sure sounds like he is way more advanced than you, at least when it comes to his interest in sex. Unfortunately, he’s not so advanced that he’s man enough to leave you alone when you ask him to. And that really makes me angry. Bullying, belittling or harassing someone for sex, particularly when it’s clear that person is not ready or not interested is abuse. And that is never a good thing.</p>
<p>I hasten to add that in the eyes of the law he is a criminal. He is taking advantage of an underage person for his own sexual gratification and that’s against the law. If you guys get busted, there will be hell to pay.</p>
<p>I know the kind of pressures you are experiencing. You want a BF and you want your BF to like <a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Teen.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-9623" style="margin: 10px;" title="Teen" src="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Teen.jpg" alt="" width="203" height="241" /></a>you. But if you let him take advantage of you, it’s not the same thing as him liking you. It’s more an indication that he’s focused on his needs and desires, not yours. I don’t think his behavior indicates he cares for you, but he is showing you that he has power over you and is able to manipulate you into doing what he wants. And what kind of relationship is that?</p>
<p>Listen, TC, you don’t have to submit to him. You can stand tall and tell him NO. He will, in the end, respect you more for your courage to defy and deny him than if you just cave in to his will.</p>
<p>I’m not sure I know what you mean when you say that you “let your boyfriend do it all.” But it sure doesn’t sound like a good thing to me. If he’s having his way with you, even though you are being very passive about it, doesn’t make it right. I hope this isn’t how you intend to interact with other males who will come into your life in the future. And there will be plenty of them. If they sense that you are weak and vulnerable, you will be a goner for sure. You could easily wind up being a victim for the rest of your life. Please, TC, don’t let that happen to you.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/hand.jpg"><img class="alignleft  wp-image-9624" style="margin: 10px;" title="hand" src="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/hand-387x500.jpg" alt="" width="336" height="434" /></a>I know you’d probably rather be thinking about a lot of other stuff at this time in your life, but the situation with your BF demands that you grow up fast and get savvy about the fundamentals sex right away. I’ll have a number of resources for you in a second, but I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for you to wise up about pregnancy protection. I wish I didn’t have to say that to you, but I must. If you are being sexually active, even if you are just letting your BF do everything, you absolutely must protect yourself from an unwanted and unplanned pregnancy. If you don’t you will find that you will be the one having to deal with the consequences. If your BF is not considerate enough to respect your wishes when it comes to sex in general, you know for sure that he’ll not be around to look after you and your unborn child.</p>
<p>Ok, here are those resources I mentioned. <a href="http://www.plannedparenthood.org/info-for-teens/" target="_blank">Planned Parenthood</a>, <a href="http://www.scarleteen.com/" target="_blank">SCARLETEEN</a>, <a href="http://www.sex-ed101.org/" target="_blank">Sex Ed 101</a> and <a href="http://midwestteensexshow.com/" target="_blank">Midwest Teen Sex Show</a>.</p>
<p>Promise me that you will take this seriously. That you’ll not just roll over (literally or figuratively). Promise me that you will respect yourself and take a stand and not allow your BF to manipulate you into anything you don’t want to do. More hangs in the balance than you can comprehend. You’ll have to trust me on this.</p>
<p>One last thing, if you were wise enough to find my sex advice website and you were mature enough to write to me, then I believe you are strong and resourceful enough, despite your tender age, to stand up to your BF. Do it now. Demand that he respect you, your body and your wishes.</p>
<p>Good luck</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Sex Therapy—What Is It and Who Needs It? – Part 2</title>
		<link>http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2011/12/19/sex-therapy-what-is-it-and-who-needs-it-part-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2011/12/19/sex-therapy-what-is-it-and-who-needs-it-part-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:17:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>dr dick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Andropause]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/?p=9387</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(Look for Part 1 of this series HERE!) 
 
 
Of course, there are plenty of individuals—and couples—who haven’t waited until the last minute to seek help. These people want to be proactive about their <a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2011/12/19/sex-therapy-what-is-it-and-who-needs-it-part-2/">Continue reading</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;">(Look for Part 1 of this series <a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2011/12/12/sex-therapy%E2%80%94what-is-it-and-who-needs-it-part-1/" target="_blank"><big><strong><span style="font-family: arial; color: #ff6600;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">HERE</span></span></strong></big></a>!)</p>
<p>Of course, there are plenty of individuals—and couples—who haven’t waited until the last minute to seek help. These people want to be proactive about their concerns. Some people simply need some clear, unambiguous information about human sexuality. A surprising number of people are trying to piece together their sexual lives, but are hampered by misconceptions and misinformation.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/stories-we-never-tell.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-9388" style="margin: 10px;" title="stories we never tell" src="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/stories-we-never-tell-350x233.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="233" /></a>Sometimes a momentous event motivates a person to address arising sexual or intimacy issues. The birth of a child, a disease process, a death in the family, or an accident can fundamentally alter the power dynamic of a relationship, which will require a rethinking of the entire relationship.</p>
<p>Or perhaps someone comes to a new realization about him or herself: Perhaps they are finally able to acknowledge their bisexuality, or that he’s gay, or she’s a lesbian. Maybe they are finally able to acknowledge a fetish—he’s a crossdresser, or she’s into another kink. Things like this obviously impact the individual, but if that person is in a relationship, the relationship is also affected. People in these self-revelatory situations are often unsure how to talk about their discoveries with a partner, which is another reason they seek counseling.</p>
<p>Some couples don’t fret when the sex vanishes from the relationship; other couples are devastated. What does one do when one partner still has sexual needs, but the other doesn’t? Often, there are unexplored options that can hold the relationship together, but will address the disparity in sexual interest and desire.</p>
<p>In this case, I can help the couple make compromises without losing their moral compass. <a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/bend-me-over.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-8494" style="margin: 10px;" title="bend me over" src="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/bend-me-over.jpg" alt="" width="320" height="315" /></a>Some couples navigate this with ease; others not so much. It can be extremely challenging, but there are ways to preserve what’s sacred about a primary relationship, while contemplating opening the relationship to include others. I can help a couple establish guidelines and ground rules for making the necessary adjustments.</p>
<p>Sometimes the relationship is really wonderful and fun. The couple really loves each other, but they’ve noticed their sex life together is pretty boring and stale. I’m often approached to simply help a couple spice things up. In this instance, my work is sheer joy. Mostly, I just give them permission to experiment and have fun.</p>
<p>You’ve probably noticed that a good portion of the work that I do as a sex therapist is merely giving permission. That may not sound like therapy at all, but when you consider that our sex-negative culture is so full of prohibitions; permission giving is often the front line of sexual rehabilitation. Most of the permissions I give are for an individual to educate him or herself about his or her body and his or her sexual response cycle. Personal exploration, such as masturbation, is the very best means to that education. I’m a huge proponent of partners masturbating together.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pants-down.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-9389" style="margin: 10px;" title="pants down" src="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pants-down-298x350.jpg" alt="" width="298" height="350" /></a>Happily, our need to reacquaint and reeducate ourselves about our bodies and our sexual response cycle is a life-long process. There is always something new to explore. As we age, our bodies change, and if we don’t keep up with those changes, we can become frustrated and disoriented. Older people, menopausal women and andropausal men, take longer to build up “a head of sexual steam,” so to speak. If they’re not attuned to the changes they’re going through, they can easily miss the important cues their body is sending to slow down and enjoy the sensuality.</p>
<p>Of course, I could go on and on, but now I want to leave you with what is the distillation of years my thinking about the role sexuality plays in our life:</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>I believe that sex is like food. We can enjoy it alone, or with others. We can be abstemious, or gluttonous. We can nosh or nibble; dine or devour. And we can be certain there will be both times of feast and famine.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sex is like food. It can nourish and sustain us, or it can make us sick. We can consume all the available bounty, or restrict our diet. It can completely satisfy, or leave us devastatingly empty. We can employ it to express our highest aspirations, or allow it to rob us of our soul. We can give it as a gift, or use it as a weapon. It can be both bacchanal and sacrament.</strong></p>
<p><strong>One thing is for sure, whether purely physical or transcendentally spiritual, no one can live without food…or sex.</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>
<strong>Got a Sex Question?</strong><br />
You’ve come to the right place.<br />
Contact me here: <a href="mailto:questions@drdicksexadvice.com">questions@drdicksexadvice.com</a></p>
<p><strong>No time to write?</strong><br />
Give Dr Dick a call.<br />
(866) 422-5680<br />
Toll Free — Voicemail — HOTLINE</p>
<p><strong>Would you like to talk about your sexual concerns, feelings, lifestyle or experiences?</strong><br />
Arrange for a consultation <big><strong><span style="font-family: arial; color: #ff6600;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/therapy-available/" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></span></strong></big>!</p>
<p>Either way, you can be assured of my complete discretion.</p>
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		<title>Sex Therapy—What Is It and Who Needs It? &#8211; Part 1</title>
		<link>http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2011/12/12/sex-therapy%e2%80%94what-is-it-and-who-needs-it-part-1/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2011/12/12/sex-therapy%e2%80%94what-is-it-and-who-needs-it-part-1/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:07:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>dr dick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Behavior Modification]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Discussing Sexual Issues]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Philosophy of Sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex and Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex-Positive Therapist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sexual Anxiety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sexual Frustration]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[I’m often asked about my work as a sex therapist. I’m surprised at how few people have any sense of what a sexologist does. While I can’t speak for all my fellow therapists, I can <a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2011/12/12/sex-therapy%e2%80%94what-is-it-and-who-needs-it-part-1/">Continue reading</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I’m often asked about my work as a sex therapist. I’m surprised at how few people have any sense of what a sexologist does. While I can’t speak for all my fellow therapists, I can tell you a bit about my own practice.</p>
<p>Most of the work I do is <em>Cognitive Behavioral Therapy</em> (CBT): short-term, goal-directed and personally liberating (I don’t believe this kind of therapy should become a lifestyle). Basically, I suggest that people with sexual issues change the behaviors that contribute to their problems as a surefire way to solve them. I try to give my clients all the tools they need to successfully work things out on their own once the therapeutic intervention is over. This approach doesn’t fit everyone; however, 99.9 percent of the people I work with respond positively.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/sex-therapy-2.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-9358" style="margin: 10px;" title="sex-therapy-2" src="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/sex-therapy-2-350x341.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="341" /></a>I encourage my clients to give themselves permission to investigate their sexuality. This in turn assists them in taking charge of making <em>themselves</em> feel better and/or perform better. And as soon as they do, they almost immediately have a greater sense of wellbeing. Like they say, nothing breeds success like success.</p>
<p>Once we identify an area of concern, my client and I create a plan of action for them to implement. I believe the more an individual is part of their own healing process, the more productive that process will be.</p>
<p>Sadly, I find that fewer and fewer people are willing to give their sexual issues the attention they deserve. Rather than investing the time and energy to get to the bottom of their issues, many opt instead for the quick fix—the “<em>Give me a pill for that</em>” mentality. They’re often unwilling to make the necessary lifestyle changes to actually solve their problems. For example, I encounter people who are eating themselves to death, or abusing alcohol or drugs. Of course they have the accompanying sexual response issues—erection problems for men and arousal concerns for women. They may desperately want to resolve these issues, but without committing to any change in behavior—i.e.: “I want my erection back, but I won’t stop drinking”—such interventions almost always ends in disappointment.</p>
<p>Sexual dysfunction of one sort or another is the issue I see most recurrently in my practice, although the reason why a client reaches out varies. Sometimes an individual’s tolerance level peaks, and they finally decide to do something about an issue that may have been smoldering for years. Sometimes it’s a partner who brings in their proverbially “broken” partner, telling me to “fix him/her.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/diggin-for-gold.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-9359 alignnone" style="margin: 10px;" title="diggin for gold" src="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/diggin-for-gold-350x241.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="241" /></a></p>
<p>Couples often seek sex therapy together, as sexual problems tend to be more obvious within relationships. However, by the time the couple comes for therapy, the issues have most likely been plaguing them for some time. The relationship often comes close to ending before the couple agrees to address the problem. For example: Say a guy brings his wife in because she’s “frigid,” whatever that may entail. They’ve been married for X-number of years, and he’s finally had it. She, on the other hand, doesn’t want to be in therapy, because she doesn’t really think there’s anything wrong with her. She just doesn’t want to have sex anymore, and she doesn’t want to discuss it. <em>Period</em>.</p>
<p>This is a difficult way to start therapy. Resentments are high and frustrations rage. If the couple does continue, we usually discover that there’s also something desperately wrong with the husband. Inevitably, we ascertain that he’s an ineffectual lover—and his inability to pleasure his wife is the root of her “problem.” It’s often painfully clear that he knows little (if anything) about his wife’s sexual needs or desires. Meanwhile, the wife has never had permission to know her body, so she’s unable to help or direct him. As you can imagine in a case like this, there’s a load of remedial sex education that must come before anything else is resolved.<a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/fine-art.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-9360" style="margin: 10px;" title="fine art" src="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/fine-art-258x350.jpg" alt="" width="258" height="350" /></a></p>
<p>Couples also seek therapy when one spouse has cheated on the other. The “cheat-ee” declares, in no uncertain terms, that this therapy is the last-ditch effort before “the end of the road.” Often in such cases, it’s too late for a successful intervention, because each partner is so angry and shamed that the chance of turning the situation around is slim. Sometimes the best we can do is end the relationship with as little acrimony as possible.</p>
<p>In difficult couple counseling situations like this, my first effort is to get the couple to disarm. There will be no sex therapy—and God knows there <em>is</em> a need for sex therapy—until there is some semblance of peace between partners. If we don’t establish at least a small bank of goodwill, our efforts are doomed.</p>
<p>We’ll pick this up next week at this time.</p>
<p><strong>Got a Sex Question?</strong><br />
You’ve come to the right place.<br />
Contact me here: <a href="mailto:questions@drdicksexadvice.com">questions@drdicksexadvice.com</a></p>
<p><strong>No time to write?</strong><br />
Give Dr Dick a call.<br />
(866) 422-5680<br />
Toll Free — Voicemail — HOTLINE</p>
<p><strong>Would you like to talk about your sexual concerns, feelings, lifestyle or experiences?</strong><br />
Arrange for a consultation <big><strong><span style="font-family: arial; color: #ff6600;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/therapy-available/" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></span></strong></big>!</p>
<p>Either way, you can be assured of my complete discretion.</p>
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