María Ángeles Sanz explains how to recognise a healthy relationship, tell ordinary conflict from harmful patterns and know when professional support may help.
Articles from Ocnos Psychology Clinic to better understand desire, intimacy, sexual anxiety, emotional blocks and the difficulties that can appear in sexual life, both individually and within a relationship.
The aim of this category: to offer useful and clinically responsible resources for individuals and couples who want to understand what may be happening when sexual anxiety, loss of desire, performance pressure, shame, difficulty enjoying intimacy or intimate distress appear.
Sex therapy is not about forcing quick solutions. It helps us understand the role of anxiety, self-pressure, communication, the couple’s relationship, the body and previous experiences in the way sexuality is experienced.
In this category we bring together content on sex therapy written from a healthcare, respectful and non-judgemental perspective. The aim is to help you put words to difficulties that are often lived in silence, with shame, or with the feeling that they “should resolve themselves”.
Having a sexual difficulty does not mean there is something “wrong” with you. It may be related to anxiety, previous experiences, insecurity, pressure, relationship conflict, life changes, fear of judgement, the sexual education received or bodily disconnection. Understanding the context is often the first step towards approaching it with more calm.
Ocnos resources are created from a clinical, careful and person-centred perspective. Articles can provide orientation, but they do not replace an individual psychological assessment.
General Health Psychologist · Director of Ocnos Psychology Clinic
Registered with COPAO AN11777
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General Health Psychologist
Registered with COPAO AN13748
View professional profile
General Health Psychologist
Registered with COPAO AN12933
View professional profileMany sexual difficulties continue because they are lived with pressure, silence or shame. A psychological approach allows the situation to be viewed more broadly: not only what happens, but when it appears, what triggers it, how it is interpreted, which emotions it activates and how it affects self-esteem or the relationship.
Sexuality can intersect with anxiety, mood, the couple’s relationship, communication, personal history and the way the body is experienced.
In sex therapy the aim is not to impose goals or measure the person by their performance. The work focuses on understanding the difficulty, reducing pressure, improving communication and recovering a safer relationship with the body, desire and intimacy.
When anticipation, fear of failing or bodily monitoring block the intimate experience.
Desire can change because of stress, tiredness, conflict, emotional distance or accumulated pressure.
Psychological work can help reduce shame, disconnection or body-related insecurity.
Talking about sexuality with care can reduce tension and support more realistic agreements.
Anxiety can influence desire, arousal, body connection and the ability to experience intimacy calmly.
Intervention can be carried out individually or with the partner, depending on the difficulty, context and therapeutic goals.
When sexuality intersects with the couple’s relationship, communication, trust, safety and emotional closeness may need to be addressed.
It may be useful to seek help when the difficulty continues over time, creates anticipatory anxiety, affects self-esteem, limits intimacy, leads to avoidance, worsens communication within the couple or is experienced with suffering. Therapy helps to understand the problem and build gradual changes, not to judge the person.
This information may help you orientate yourself, but it does not replace a professional assessment. If there are physical symptoms, pain, sudden changes, medical concerns or possible medication side effects, it is also important to consult the relevant healthcare professional. At Ocnos we work on the psychological and relational component of sexual difficulties from a confidential and respectful space.
In intimate matters, feeling heard without judgement is especially important. Patient reviews can help you understand how psychological care is experienced at Ocnos Psychology Clinic.
This category will continue to grow with articles on sexual anxiety, desire, intimacy, communication, individual sex therapy, sex therapy for couples and intimate wellbeing. If you need professional guidance, you can book a first appointment at Ocnos Psychology Clinic.
Explore the latest resources published by the Ocnos Psychology Clinic team on sex therapy, sexual anxiety, desire, intimacy, relationships and psychological wellbeing.
María Ángeles Sanz explains how to recognise a healthy relationship, tell ordinary conflict from harmful patterns and know when professional support may help.
A practical UK English guide with exercises for premature ejaculation, including breathing, pelvic floor training, start-stop, mindfulness and psychological strategies to reduce pressure and improve control.
Attachment styles can influence how we experience closeness, distance, trust, fear of abandonment and emotional safety in our relationships. In this article, Rocío Rodríguez Boza explains the main attachment styles and how therapy can help you build more secure ways of relating.
Héctor Lozano, Director of Ocnos Psychology Clinic, took part in a Prostate Cancer Gibraltar Buddies Meeting to discuss the emotional impact of prostate cancer, including uncertainty, fear, relationships, intimacy and psychological support.
Sex therapy can be helpful when difficulties with desire, anxiety, pain, intimacy or communication begin to affect wellbeing. This article explains when to seek help, which signs matter, and how therapy can support individuals and couples.
Couples therapy can help partners understand why the same conflicts keep repeating and how communication patterns affect their relationship. In this article we explain how couples therapy works, which relationship difficulties are most common in therapy, and what psychological strategies can help improve communication and rebuild connection.
Sex therapy is a specialised psychological intervention for concerns involving desire, arousal, erections, ejaculation, orgasm, pain, anxiety or intimacy. Learn how it works and when medical advice may also be needed.