Better Sex Through Mindfulness: A Group for Women to Cultivate Sexual Desire

Are you having challenges with feeling turned on or wanting to have sex?

Are you feeling bored, unfulfilled, hopeless, or frustrated by sex?

Are you feeling stressed or pressured around your experiences with orgasm?

Are you feeling disconnected from yourself, your body, your sexual partner(s), or others?

When there’s a disruption in how we feel and express our sexuality, it can be really overwhelming and distracting- like it’s impacting almost every area of our lives. Imagine instead being in touch with yourself and excited by sex and pleasure!

With support from our licensed sex therapists and professionals you will learn how to:

• Cultivate your sexual pleasure, interests, arousal and desires
• Reframe and make sense of your thoughts, feelings and body sensations surrounding sex
• Strengthen your mind-body awareness and connection to self
• Find joy and build greater intimacy and relationships with other women who can relate
• Embody acceptance and compassion
• Learn and practice mindfulness, cognitive behaviour therapy & other evidence-based skills that encourage authentic sexual expression

Whether you are in a relationship and having partnered sex or not, this group will support your sexual wellness journey! 

WHAT TO EXPECT

Prepare yourself to engage and participate in group discussions for 1 hour and 45 minutes, once a week for eight weeks. Our work begins: September 26 at 7:30pm.

This group is an adapted version of Canadian Sex Researcher Lori A. Brotto’s (PhD, Registered Psychologist) program for better sex through mindfulness, and includes additional research related to cisgender, heterosexual, queer and lesbian identified women’s experiences of low sexual desire.

Through a blend of Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioural interventions, you will learn skills and process your thoughts, feelings and sensations surrounding pleasure and sex. Our group facilitators, Angela Holmes (Registered Psychotherapist) and Robin Milhausen (Registered Psychotherapist, Qualifying), will guide you through learning modules, activities, and discussions that will support with improving your sexual arousal, desires and satisfaction. 

During each group session you will engage in guided mindfulness techniques that promote presence, compassion, and non judgemental-awareness. Worksheets will be provided after each group to support further learning and self-reflection in between sessions. Together, we will debrief about weekly take-home exercises. At the end of the group, we will provide you with a package of research and book recommendations.

As a group, we will experience authentic sexual expression through the power of connection. Together, we will build relationships with one another and create a community by offering a private, confidential, compassionate and open space to share. We invite like-minded individuals, seeking to come together to support and hold each others’ stories. 

HERE’S WHAT WE WILL COVER OVER 8 WEEKS

Week 1: Tuesday September 26th, 7:30-9:15pm

Week one will focus on exploring the meaning of sexual arousal and desire. Common challenges encountered in mindfulness practice will be reviewed. We will review an approach to navigating these challenges in order to set participants up for success in improving their experience with desire.

Week 2: Tuesday October 3rd, 7:30-9:15pm

Week two will support participants with getting to know the course of their sexual difficulty. We will take a closer look at the timeline of the sexual interest/arousal difficulty and understand the ripple effect of this over time.

Week 3: Tuesday, October 10th, 7:30-9:15pm

On week three participants will learn about the sexual anatomy and physiology of sexual response in addition to some common sexual beliefs. The relationship between body image and sexual desire will be explored and participants will learn strategies for navigating this experience.

Week 4: Tuesday October 17th, 7:30-9:15

The fourth week of this group will focus on how to work with throughs in meditation. Mindfulness based cognitive behavioural strategies will be reviewed and practiced together. Group participants will be supported to experience how mindfulness-based CBT can support with improving their sense of desire.

Week 5: Tuesday October 24th, 7:30-9:15pm

During week five we invite participants to experience a new way of understanding the contributing factors to low sexual desire. Factors contributing to resiliency will also be reflected upon.

We will not hold a group on the week of Tuesday October 31st, for Halloween

Week 6: Tuesday November 7, 7:30-9:15pm

On the sixth week of the group, participants will be guided through an exercise to understand the impact that thoughts have on sexual desire in addition to learning skills for staying present during sexual activity.

Week 7: Tuesday November 14, 7:30-9:15pm

In week seven, participants will learn about sexual tools that can heighten the experience of sexual sensations. We will invite participants to understand how any judgements of their sexual selves may influence their motivation to engage in sexual activity.

Week 8: Tuesday November 21, 7:30-9:15pm

During the eighth and final week of the group, participants will be guided through an ending ritual celebrating learnings and growth. Participants will reflect upon their experience in the program and identify strategies for maintaining their intention for mindfulness practice. 

Are you ready to join us? Fill out the form below or CLICK HERE to register. We’ll be in touch with the next steps!

WORKSHOP DETAILS

Location: In-Person at 7 Willow St, Uptown Waterloo

Parking: Complimentary Parking Available

Dates & Times: September 26, October 3, October 10, October 17, October 24, November 7, November 14, November 21 – from 7:30pm to 9:15pm.

Facilitators: Angela Holmes (Registered Psychotherapist) and Robin Milhausen (Registered Psychotherapist, Qualifying)

Size of the Group: 8 Individuals

Coverage: For many people, group therapy with a Registered Psychotherapist is covered by extended health benefits. If you intend to pay via insurance, please let us know when you are signing up.