Resources on Sexuality, Relationships, and Mental Health
Reading, watching, and learning between sessions.
Some of our clients love homework, and some don’t! Either way is fine with us. This page is for those of you who would like to explore resources before starting therapy, and for our clients who love homework.
We believe in connecting you with the most current and useful research and information about relationships, sexuality and science.
We also believe in connecting you to other professionals we believe can help you. Especially in the field of sexuality, a multidisciplinary approach has been shown to be the most effective in alleviating distress, helping symptoms and creating long-term change.
Sex therapy, relationship therapy and all forms of therapy are both a science and an art. All of the work can be done with support, but we believe in helping you cut through all the misinformation in order to get the best quality, evidence-based information possible.
Here are some external resources grouped by category that we recommend you explore. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about any of them.
We will continue to review and add resources, so check back for updates.
Sexuality resources
We often suggest resources for our clients to help with the work we do in sex therapy. Most of what we know about sexuality is not correct! A little homework that helps you learn that you are not broken and don’t need “fixing” can go a long way. These resources show you how you can move past your learned expectations around sexuality and find your way to pleasure and fun.
Relationship resources and exercises
Relationships can be a joy in our lives, but can also be the biggest source of distress. That is actually really normal! We do know there are some things you can learn about relationships that help you understand what normal ups and downs are and what needs to change. Below are a few resources that address common issues we see all the time in relationships.
These are some ways for people to learn more about their partners. We believe that curiosity about your partner and their experiences in life goes a long way to understanding your differences and creating a connection. Just a few below to try.
Burnout
We see burnout all the time in our practice, as do most therapists. We find it very useful to use an intersectional, social justice lens while looking at burnout. The resources below can help with that. Hint- it’s not about doing more self-care, it’s about doing less overall!
Vulvar Care and Happiness!
We see women suffering with and enduring vulvar and vaginal pain every day in our work. It is a common issue, yet not enough is done to address it. This can be a complex issue or it can be a simple fix. Below are a few resources to start with. Remember, pain during sex is not okay and there are treatments.
Communication - all relationships
We usually don’t learn skills that are needed to make our relationship a little easier and more connected. Below are some of the skills that we often suggest. These are things you can practice at home. Remember, practice indicates you will not be perfect at them! It will take some time and being intentional about doing them.
Anxiety and depression
Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health issues people deal with. Below are some vetted sites that offer some resources many clients find helpful. They can also give you information about directions you could take with therapy or medical treatments.
Values and goals worksheets
Living a life that aligns with your values and ethics is everyone’s hope. But often we have trouble deciding what our values are versus what is expected of us by our families or society. Living or working in a way that does not align with our values or ethics can lead to ethical burnout. Below are some worksheets that some clinics find helpful to figure out their values.
Don’t wait to get started on making a change
All these resources may feel overwhelming to sort through! We all have the stack of books we mean to read, or a bunch of open tabs we mean to get to…
Sometimes having a therapist work with you can give you the impetus to get going. Work can be done outside of session with resources if you would like. However, it is not necessary. Most of the heavy lifting can be down in a session with a therapist you trust.
It is great to have a plan to read and do all the things. But if you haven’t got to that yet, it might be time to do things differently. Reach out and we can help you get started.