Sex as a Safe Adventure: Helping Couples Connect Sexually and Emotionally Through Emotionally Focused Therapy

Fifteen CU Denver Counseling students took advantage of a special discount to participate in a two day workshop with Zoya Simakhodskaya and Michael Moran from New York. The workshop addressed an attachment based approach to working with sex in couple’s therapy. The students were among a group of 65 participants from around the region. The workshop was designed to give a strong foundation where sexual issues are the presenting problem in couple therapy. Introduction to up to date research on current models of sexuality was be presented. Students learned how to do an assessment of both the negative relational cycle and the sexual cycle so they can skillfully work using EFT interventions with both cycles to help couples move to de-escalation. The workshop also addressed how to integrate psycho-education and simple behavioral sex therapy interventions as couples begin to move into Stage 2, while at the same time continuing to build a secure bond through increased vulnerability. The workshop included lecture, video examples, and experiential exercises.