Services

Better sex for women through mindfulness.

When there’s a disruption in how we feel and express our sexuality, it can be really overwhelming and distracting – impacting almost every area of our lives! Imagine instead being in touch with yourself and excited by sex and pleasure. Whether you’re in a relationship and having partnered sex or not, this group will support your sexual wellness.

Book Now

With support from our sex-perts you will learn how to:

Explore your sexual interests and desires
Reframe your sexual thoughts, feelings and body sensations
Strengthen your mind-body awareness and connection to self
Communicate yours wants and needs
Embody acceptance and compassion
Encourage authentic sexual expression
Practice mindfulness, cognitive behaviour therapy & other evidence-based skills
Connect with other women who can relate

Location: 7 Willow St, Uptown Waterloo

Parking: Complimentary Parking Available

Dates & Times: To be determined. Send us a message to join the Waitlist!

Facilitators: Angela Holmes (Registered Psychotherapist, AASECT + BRIA Certified) and Robin Milhausen (Registered Psychotherapist, Qualifying)

Size of the Group: 8 Women, 18+

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.

Learn More - Let's Chat!

What to Expect:

Prepare yourself to engage and participate in group discussions for 1 hour and 45 minutes, once a week for 8 weeks.

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’ll cover over 8 weeks:

Week 1: We 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: We 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: 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: We 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: We will 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.

Week 6: 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: 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: During our 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! We’ll be in touch shortly with more information and updates.

Join the Waitlist!

Connect with a therapist who gets you!

We are a group of passionately committed, highly trained, down-to-earth therapists, who are dedicated to understanding your unique story so we can tailor support to help you build a life you feel truly great about.

AthenaTherapist MSW, RSW