What is Sensate Focus?
Houston Sex Therapy & Sexual Trauma Therapy
In psychological sex therapy, there is a technique called sensate focus. Sensate focus involves a series of structured touching exercises that clients perform at home as homework. This technique is designed to reduce anxiety and improve communication about sexual intimacy. The creators of this technique are the infamous trailblazers known as Masters & Johnson. Upon mentioning sensate focus, clients have a puzzled look on their faces and I completely understand why. It’s not an in vogue phrase. Think of sensate focus as a marriage between mindfulness & exposure therapy for systematic desensitization that can be used for anxiety or PTSD treatment.
Sounds like CBT….
OK, OK, I hear you! “Genevieve, you are an existential psychotherapist. Are you using a behavioral technique?” Ummmm, not really. Maybe sort of, but not entirely. Here is why.
Mindfulness is used in many therapeutic modalities, not just cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The gradual touching nature of sensate focus does echo CBT, I’ll give you that. However, CBT does not get to stake a claim on every activity that is executed gradually. Sorry. Frankly, mindfulness has been around for centuries whereas CBT became popular in the 1950’s & 60’s. Thanks, Aaron Beck & B. F. Skinner!
Lori Brotto’s (2018) book Better Sex through Mindfulness provides comprehensive detail on the effectiveness and utilization of mindfulness within sex therapy for women’s sexual desire.
Mindfulness is heavily utilized in existential psychotherapy. Mindfulness is all about being rooted in the current moment and taking our time to genuinely experience what is happening. Mindfulness also focuses on viewing our emotions and thoughts as if they are passing clouds. Not judging them, just noticing and allowing them to flow into the next one. Sensate focus combines this slow, meditative mental activity with the action of touching. The idea is that the gradual nature of sensual touching, that does not lead to intercourse, eases one’s anxiety around the touch and eventually sex.
Masters & Johnson posited that sensate focus, with its focus on systematic touching between partners, with the goal of reducing anxiety and without the goal of triggering sexual arousal, could treat a range of sexual difficulties. Early studies of the Masters and Johnson approach showed remarkable outcomes, with high remission rates 5 years later (Masters & Johnson, 1970 as cited in Binik & Hall, 2020).
Houston Texas Sex Therapist & Sexual Trauma Therapist
The homework activity of sensate focus in sex therapy works by refocusing the participants on their own sensory perceptions and sensuality, instead of goal-oriented behavior focused on penetrative sex. Sensate focus has been used to treat problems with body image, erectile dysfunction, orgasm disorders, and lack of sexual arousal.
Sensate focus is not a “go-to” technique for me as I lean more to an existential framework. Often psychotherapy sessions revolve around discussing the more profound & underlying concerns of the sexual symptom. Existential psychotherapy views many manifestations of sexual dysfunction as the symptom of an underlying issue. Oftentimes, the underlying issue is the key. If we can address the underlying issue, oftentimes the symptom resolves. However, there are instances where sensate focus can be of assistance. Sensate focus is a bit of a Swiss Army knife in sex therapy that has been utilized for over 60 years.