Why Are Couples and Sex Therapy Taught Separately?
Couples therapy and sex therapy are taught separately for one reason—they were developed separately. There is no scientific or clinical reason for clinicians not to learn both modalities. In fact, therapists would benefit from knowing both because couples coming to therapy often need help navigating many aspects of their relationship, including communication and sex.
When working with couples, they will undoubtedly face issues related to intimacy, both emotional and physical. Indeed, these two types of intimacy are closely tied. For many, an emotional connection is a necessary ingredient for a sexual connection, and physical intimacy leads to a sense of emotional closeness. Why, then, is there not a more integrative approach to learning how to foster both emotional and sexual intimacy?
The best that most therapists can do is choose to pursue training in both fields so they are as educated and qualified as possible to do this type of work. This puts the burden on therapists to decide which types of training or modalities to pursue, financially invest in multiple programs, and integrate the knowledge on their own.
Perhaps a better approach would be teaching these two specializations side-by-side, allowing students and early career therapists to learn foundational knowledge and skills for treating couples. This approach would also allow therapists to get a sense of their interest in becoming certified in one path over the other, or if they’d like to continue pursuing both specializations.
It’s time for an approach that integrates couples therapy and sex therapy together—the way they are in real life.
In Navigating Intimacy, you’ll find the tools you need to help couples strengthen their emotional connection and resolve recurring conflicts while also helping them talk about and navigate sexual challenges.
Whether you’re a seasoned couples therapist or are just starting on your path to specialization, let this book be your guide to navigating the nuance, complexity, and art of couples and sex therapy.
Isabelle Morley, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist and an EFT-certified couples’ therapist (emotionally focused therapy), and author of They’re Not Gaslighting You: Ditch the Therapy Speak and Stop Looking for Red Flags in Every Relationship. She is an expert in the misuse and weaponization of therapy speak, having written the first book on the subject. She is co-author of the therapist manual Navigating Intimacy: An Introductory Guide to Couples and Sex Therapy, and Dr. Morley is also a contributing author to Psychology Today in her blog Love Them or Leave Them. She is frequently sought out by journalists for expert commentary on topics such as relationships, couples therapy, and reality television, and has been featured in The New Yorker, The Boston Globe, Business Insider, Vox and VeryWell Mind, among others. In philanthropic work, Dr. Morley is a founding board member of The Unscripted Cast Advocacy Network (UCAN) Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports reality TV cast members in accessing mental health and legal support and advocates for industry change.
Dr. Morley received a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University. As part of her major in Peace and Justice Studies, she focused on interpersonal conflict resolution and wrote her capstone project on the evolutionary justification and modern-day use of forgiveness and revenge in relationships following significant transgressions. After graduating from Tufts, she earned her PsyD (Doctor of Psychology) degree from William James College in 2015. Her doctoral research explored young adults’ perspectives of hookup culture and its impact on their ability to form meaningful romantic relationships.
She started specializing in couples therapy early in her career, working with couples and pursuing additional education and training in many forms of couples therapy, including the Gottman Method, EFT, and Relational Life Therapy. She lives and works in the Boston area.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Isabelle Morley maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with Tufts University. She receives a speaking honorarium from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Isabelle Morley has no relevant non-financial relationships.
