Couples of all ages, married and otherwise, commonly report sexual dissatisfaction. Perhaps they feel they are not having sex as often as they once were, or simply that the passion is somehow missing from their sex life. Similarly, many single individuals report sexual issues to be one of the main obstacles to a healthy, intimate relationship. Sexual issues often lead to heated and persistent conflicts and frustration. Unfortunately, many individuals have come to accept such dissatisfaction as unavoidable changes due to monogamy or aging. Another area of concern that many individuals struggle with is sexual orientation and related lifestyle factors. Although sexual issues may be buried at the core layers of personality, psychotherapy has been particularly effective in helping individuals deal with these issues.

Due to cultural and family influences, many individuals experience much guilt, shame and embarrassment when it comes to sexuality. At the core of these feelings, psychotherapy has shown us, there may be complicated and unrecognized feelings of anger, confusion and devaluing of the self. For this reason, sexual issues are often treated not as a single, simple conflict in and of themselves, but rather as part of a larger difficulty in understanding and accepting one's own personality. Someone with disruptive sexual issues, for instance, could discover on closer examination other seemingly unrelated life areas that are affected, such as career advancement, physical well-being, creative "blocks" and so on. In psychodynamic therapy, the client examines the ways in which his or her childhood and upbringing unconsciously influenced his or her current sexual conflicts. In cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, specific goals and behaviors are targeted which allow the patient become more at ease with his or her sexuality and overall self.

In many instances, individuals struggling with sexual issues may be helped with appropriate medication.