Coping with Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

Are you struggling with difficulties achieving and maintaining an erection?
Does the worry on whether you will have an erection cause you anxiety?
Are these issues affecting your sexual self-esteem?

Sexual difficulties can have a profound impact on your life. They go beyond mere physical challenges – they can strain your intimate relationships, leaving you and your partner yearning for the pleasure and connection you deserve. Sexual satisfaction is not just a luxury, but an essential part of human experience.

Well, what if we told you that erectile dysfunction does not predict whether or not you can have a satisfying sex life, or even a great sex life?

Yes, there is a lot to unpack when our bodies don’t perform the way we want them to. And even moreso when it’s something as intimate and personal as an erection.

The good news is that there is more to sex than getting a hard-on. When we become pleasure-focused AND partner-focused, there are many ways to have an enriching sex life—with or without an erection.

Affirming Therapy Center’s sex therapists take a Bio-Psycho-Social approach to the situation. In part, this means that the first thing we do is find out how much of the situation is biological (medical), how much of it is psychological (emotional), and how much of it is social (relational).

For the biological component, we can work alongside with your primary-care physician, your urologist, or a sexual medicine specialist. The medical provider will do a thorough medical exam and assessment to determine if there is a medical issue. (Sometimes, ED can be a complication of cardiovascular conditions, a side-effect of medications, or other medical issues, so it’s always important to speak with a doctor as the first step.) A medical professional may provide treatment options that are designed to help specifically with the quality of an erection.

However, these treatments don’t address the psychological component—which is where we come in!

As specialists in ED, we can help you to discover if there are other reasons why an erection has become challenging to you, and then help you to analyze and process these causes and influences. Stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues may be contributing to your ED, and the therapy process can focus on addressing these emotional issues.

Sometimes ED can be a symptom of relational distress. This is not meant to blame your partner! But rather, we will look at the overall health of your entire relationship. Our body sometimes tries to protect us from psychological distress and when a relationship doesn’t feel emotionally safe, and it may activate a level of anxiety that makes it difficult to have an erection. If this is the case, we may recommend a treatment plan that includes couples therapy along with the individual sex therapy for each partner.

At Affirming Therapy Center, we can offer a built-in collaboration-of-care within our team so that you and your relationship get the level of support that you need and deserve.

If erectile dysfunction (ED) is impacting your self-esteem, or the closeness you share with your partner, it might be time to consider seeking professional help and guidance. At ATC, we specialize in providing confidential counseling tailored specifically to your needs. We understand the challenges you face, and our compassionate team is here to support you every step of the way. Take the brave step forward today and regain your confidence and strengthen your intimate life.

Our Therapists

The therapists at ATC know how difficult it can be to realize that things aren’t working “like they should”. We are here for you, offering a place to speak delicately and frankly about your ED, to be a support while you seek out medical answers, and to help you create a delightful and dependable sex life for you and your partner.

Contact us now to discover the healthy sex life you deserve.