#157. Sex Therapist Debunks Sexual Health Myths - Christene Lozano | Meraki Counseling

Sex Therapy in a Hypersexual Society

We are going real deep into the realm of sex and sexual liberation with a licensed sex therapist expert. Christine Lozano is a certified sex therapist, sex addiction expert, licensed marriage and family therapist, and the founder of Meraki counseling. Her insights will shatter numerous misconceptions in the little known world of sex therapy and addiction.

Is Sex Therapy Only For Sexual Problems?

Is it true that sex therapy is only for those who struggle with sexual problems within their relationships? I think everyone can benefit from sex therapy in some way, shape or form. We live in a society where people can be obsessed with sex. And that also impacts our perceptions of emotional intimacy.

The Common Questions Clients Have About Their Sexual Health

One of the most common concerns that people have when it comes to their sexual health is, am I normal? For many people, their main form of sex education is through porn. Unless we address stigma, no real fruitful conversations can take place.

How To Heal From Sexual Assault

About one in seven men get sexually assaulted. For many men, it can be very. difficult to share about a sexual trauma or a sexual assault. Healing allows you to recommit to the fear points that sent you away.

How Many Of Your Clients Are Coming to You For Their Sexual

A solid amount of clients' sexual problems are attributable to their porn use. I wouldn't say porn would be the only reason that someone might be struggling with sexual health concerns. There's many reasons why someone can. People's fixations over just oversimplified causes.

The Use of Words in Sex Problems

language informed can inform our experience and can inform how we feel about something. When we think about the word performance and how it can inadvertently add a level of anxiety already. With performance, rather than someone saying, oh, I didn't perform, I asked them to be more specific around what they mean.

On Sex Addictions

"I would like to hold some space for you to go deep into this in the field of sex addictions " A lot of women dismiss sex addiction as an excuse. But addiction is a brain disease. And every action has its consequences.

What is Sex Addictions and Why is It Real?

Sex addiction is essentially when someone is experiencing how they express their form of sex. What makes something like sex addiction more challenging than if someone were struggling with a different type of substance is that it's a process addiction.

The Different Gender Dynamics of Therapies

A good portion of your clients are men. How do they feel about the different gender dynamics in place since you're a woman? Sometimes a client will bring it up. It can be a very interesting dynamic around what is most helpful and beneficial to the client.

How Did My Parents React To My Career?

Christine, as an asian descendant, how did your parents react to your choice of going to sexual health and sex therapist? There might be a misconception that someone who works as a sex therapist might be uncomfortable talking about sex.

The Need for a Personal Therapist

I'm a big advocate for every therapist, every life coach, every helpers must have one of their own. It would be concerning if I was working with a therapist who had never, ever done their own work around. We really need to take ownership of our own to help others.

What Does It Mean to Liberate Yourself From Sexual Shame?

Christine: What does it mean to liberate yourself from sexual shame and expand your sexual health? She says feeling more connected to yourself when you experience any sort of sex. By doing that, she says, you can partake in increasingly safer self sexual practices.

How Therapy Ripples Through Your Life

When you work on one part of someone's life, it does ripple out. If something is impacting your sex life in the bedroom, it's impacting your life outside the bedroom. So it's really the benefits compound and ripples through all facets of your life, not just one.

How to Have Sex More Often

Most common ones would be difficulty getting or maintaining an erection or coming more quickly than one would like or pain around sex. Will having sessions with you or having therapy with sexual improve their physiological or somatic symptoms in terms of pain?

How Sexual Trauma Affects Your Sex Life

Sexual trauma from the past can remanifest itself in the present tense while you're engaging in the current sexual behavior with someone else. This is like a subconscious response, psychophysiologically. The body is always trying to protect us, even if it happens in a very inconvenient way.

Sexual Assault and the Body

Our body, especially our brain is about 3 million years old. It's the same phenomenon as fight, flight, or freeze. That physiological response has nothing to do with just the horrible act of sexual assault.

Fight Flight Freeze vs Fawning

Fight flight freeze and fawning are common trauma responses. Fawning can look like consent, but it's not. This can add to the shame for someone who's experienced trauma, or especially sexual trauma. We have to recognize every facet of sexual trauma as part of the conversation.

Post-Traumatic Growth (Redskin Syndrome)

Redskin syndrome, aka topical steroid withdrawal. It's an iatrogenic illness, meaning it's an illness that was caused by medication. Once you move through your healing with this profound thing, psychological phenomenon called post traumatic growth, you take away something very meaningful and act as a strength stimuli.

You Can't Trade Your Health For Love

The rest and the health is like the foundation to ripple out. What is all the material things you have or the money that you have if you don't have your health? We have to work on all facets of a relationship with ourselves.

Christine on Sexual Health

Christine: How can the people discover more about sexual health and everything in between from me or with you? One way that people can find me is through. my business Instagram account. Can you just do me one favor? Is I ask you to share this episode with one person, one person only.