The Fundamentals of Sex

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Mental illness symptoms can detract from connecting with a partner during intimacy.

Feeling safe in one's body is the key factor in building a healthy sex life with mental illness.

It is possible to work through symptoms such as PTSD, anxiety, and loss of self toward a healthy sex life.

Do you live with a mental illness that impacts your sex life? Have you ever wanted to feel closer to your partner even if your mind (or your body) is telling you to fear them? Do you experience things like your body shutting down and numbing during intimate moments?

Sex therapy and classic psychotherapy are typically segregated in clinical care, when in fact, they are integrated. But what would you find out if you could learn from both expertises?

Gaby Balsells is a clinical psychologist and relationship coach who works with individuals and couples all over the world. In this post, we discuss ways to establish a healthy sex life, so that someone living with a mental condition doesn’t have to sacrifice the things that make their life fulfilling.

How to Build a Healthy Sex Life With Your Mind, Body, and Partner

SAM: Living with mental illness can make a person feel unsafe, insecure, or even afraid to communicate with their partner about what they are thinking and feeling. Can you first explain what makes a healthy sex life? How should we approach sex when there are vulnerabilities?

GB: A “healthy” sex life is one in which you can feel both safe and fulfilled erotically. So what that looks like will be different for everyone, because we all have different needs, desires, and bodies.

At its core, a healthy sex life involves being embodied–or in touch with your own body–and being able to experience........

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