Therapy is about finding a safe space, at a regular time, to talk about what's going on in your life. 

Your focus may be on sexual  issues, but these may well be linked with anything else that's going on in the rest of your life such as stress, problems at work, financial, family or physical difficulties. 

When you go to a professional with someone you’re in a relationship with, the therapist may well encourage you to talk to each other more than to them. This is because the focus is on how you communicate together, and improving that. The professional might ask you to have a conversation about a disagreement you’re having, or they might suggest ways that you could ask each other questions or respond to each other and get you to practice these.

Some people go to a therapist hoping that the therapist will fix all their problems. In reality it's only you who can make changes or address what's going for you. The therapist can help you to think about what you want and how you might go about getting it, but they can’t do it for you.

Talking therapy works best for people who are really committed, whether for just a few sessions or more. Between your sessions, it can be very helpful to make time to think about what's come up during the process, or to try out new ideas. 

You can find out more about the process of therapy, what to expect, ethics, and confidentiality, at the Sense About Sex website.