What makes a great sex partner?

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Confidence

Great sex partners are confident. Now when I say confidence people often think of some cocky or arrogant bossy boots.
When I say confidence I don’t mean telling other people what to do, initiating sex all the time or being in control but feeling confident enough in yourself to embrace your own vulnerability. 

There is such strength in raw vulnerability. It is sexy and intimate.

When you’re confident, vulnerable, in touch with your sexual power and open to your partner you aren’t playing games or pretending. You wouldn’t use your sexual power to hurt or manipulate others. You’re not bottling up your emotions or using others to feed your ego in a pursuit of pleasure.

Vulnerability is about feeling confident about your body and your sexuality.
It’s about being authentic about who you are and expressing your wants and desires.
If you’re confident you can be flexible, open and adventurous within the sexual world of your relationship.  You’re not putting yourself out there from a needy, empty place that needs validation and attention but rather because you believe you have something to offer the other person. You trust yourself.

Notice your internal scripts. What are you telling yourself about your body? What do you tell yourself about what you deserve in a relationship?

“Your sexuality is an integral aspect of life. Ecstasy is your birthright. Intimate connection is foundational to health and happiness, beginning with your connection with yourself.”
S. Winston

This leads me to my next points..

Body Awareness

Great lovers are in touch with their bodies and have great body awareness. They are in tune with what their bodies are trying to tell them and listen to their bodies.

Many of us rush throughout our days and try to do everything to shut our bodies up. Try focussing inwardly for a moment and listen to what your body is trying to tell you. Tune into your breathing. Put your hand on your heart and listen to your heart beat.

Put your phone down.

When you eat a meal don’t look at your phone or watch the tv-try to solely focus on the sensual pleasure of eating without distractions.

Go outside and notice how the breeze feels on your skin.

Notice how the light reflects off the leaves and smell the damp moist smell of the earth.
These practices can help you mindfully channel your sexual energy and be more open to sensations. If you’re stressed out and rushing everywhere all the time it won’t help you to tune out and enjoy sexual connection. Your sexual energy is not just alive when you’re in bed.

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Body Love

Start to express gratitude for your body and how it carries you around, protects, serves you and gives you pleasure.

 

 

Marvel at its uniqueness and abilities rather focus on the negative points you don’t like.

Accept your body and see it as a gift. Tell yourself, “I am imperfect but I am enough.” (Brene Brown)

Understand how your body works sexually and know how to give yourself orgasms. Notice what works for you and what doesn’t.

Honour your body.

Try to do one self nurturing thing for your body everyday.

Surrender to how sexy you truly are.

Changing our internal dialogue with ourselves is an important step in becoming empowered, owning our personal power, improving our sexual self esteem and transforming our sex lives and our relationships.

 

Focus more on the journey and less on the destination

Concentrate less on the orgasm and more on the pleasure and sensation. Sex is so much more than genitals touching and reaching an orgasm. Sex can be about connection, closeness, emotional release and intimacy, sensual surrender, bliss, vulnerability, healing, bonding and can be the closest thing some people get to spiritual “highs” or meditative bliss.
Try to stop viewing sex as a performance sport and don’t worry if what you like is nothing like what you’ve seen in a porno.

 

Good communication

If you feel so low about yourself you are always looking for validation in others, it will be difficult for you to communicate from a healthy place.

Learning how to communicate our wants, needs and desires and negotiate these accordingly are important skills in sexual communication. New research shows that couples that talk about sex are happier and have higher satisfaction with their sex lives.

Your partner isn’t a mind reader. If something feels good, say so, or make encouraging noises. Explain what you want, need and like and be a good listener and try to understand your partner’s needs.

When he fakes orgasm.


Men fake orgasm and their partners are often none the wiser. 

Clients have told me that when they use a condom they disguise whether they’ve orgasmed and their partner has no idea that they faked it.

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A penis that is always hard sounds brilliant in theory but in reality it can cause all sorts of problems.

Take John for instance..  John can reach orgasm when he masturbates. He gets turned on with his partner but it takes him much longer and longer to reach orgasm every time they’re together.

Sometimes it’s impossible for him to ejaculate during sex that he fakes orgasm to “get it over with.”

Now John is at the point that he can’t orgasm at all during sex but he lies to his partner about it. His partner says John is more detached and distant during sex and it’s impacting their relationship in negative ways.

Delayed Ejaculation (DE) is rapidly becoming more common amongst men.



While orgasm and ejaculation isn’t necessary to have great sex, I would diagnose DE when it becomes persistent and troublesome and is causing relationship stress.

Yes there are many pathways to pleasure and orgasm but the important point here is that DE can detrimentally affect a man’s emotional wellbeing, self esteem and relationships.

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What causes Delayed Ejaculation?



  • DE can be caused by the side effects of SSRI anti depressants or physical problems such as diabetes, prostrate or spinal injuries.
  • Psychological stresses such as relationship problems, financial worries, anxiety and over thinking or intimacy problems can cause DE.
  • Some men might be so worried about their performance, problems at work or so emotionally disconnected from their partner they can’t connect or relax enough to climax.
  • Cultural or religious reasons. Men brought up in a culture that shames sexual pleasure can internalise that guilt and shame. This can hold them back from letting go and completely surrendering to the emotional pleasure of partnered sex or lead to developing a very unusual masturbation style.
  • Sometimes a couples mismatched desire for pregnancy can bring about DE. If there’s conflict surrounding her desire for a baby and his refusal then his mind can hold him back from ejaculating.
  • Controlling and repressing emotions. Men who can’t mentally let go and be consumed by sensual pleasure can struggle with climaxing.
  • Frequent masturbation and/or an ‘Idiosyncratic masturbatory style.’ This is when men have ‘trained’ their body to only get off on a specific pressure and rhythm that only their hand can deliver that can’t be replicated during partnered sex. Some boys can develop this throughout puberty by rushing their masturbation before they get “caught” or masturbate in a specific overly firm way to porn movies.

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Treatment for Delayed Ejaculation



Once medical reasons have been factored out sex therapy and relationship counselling can treat DE.

I often see both partners in my therapy rooms or via skype and prescribe them “homework” exercises to be done in the comfort of their bedroom together in their own time.

Different approaches during sex can “shake things up” by changing the mental routine. 
 I might recommend a brief masturbation break and to stay away from porn for a while. I’m not saying never look at porn again but try abstaining from watching porn for a month and see what happens to your relationship and your sexual functioning.

We also work on improving the emotional intimacy in the relationship through exploring; how the DE partner is emotionally holding back, sexual shame, guilt or fears of intimacy.
Therapy can strengthen and further bond your relationship and lead to more more intimate connections and better sex life. It takes guts to come see me but it’s worth it.

Get in touch here today if you would like to transform your intimate relationship and your sexual functioning. All sessions are confidential and I am accepting and non judgmental.

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This was published as a column in Ciao Magazine. Art by Keith Haring, Peter Hujar,  Sarah Lucas, Manuel Esthaem, Caravaggio, Luke Hillestad..

New Year Sex and Relationship Resolutions

Happy New Year! Here’s my column that appeared in Ciao magazine…

Celebrate and respect that initial sexual attraction you both first felt when you met.

This is what first drew you together and should not be forgotten. It can be very destructive to a relationship if the times between sexual contact are too long. No matter how fast paced and busy our lives are or how familiar our partner might become to us; it is crucial we never stop seeing them as our lover first and foremost. I see so many clients who have put sex and intimacy on the back burner and this creates a myriad of problems.

Lots of good sex with our partner is beneficial for our health, our blood pressure, our hearts and the health of the relationship! ­ This leads to my next resolution…

Prioritise sex and make time for it.

Schedule in sex dates. If you are too busy and don’t have time to have sex with your partner then it’s time to sit down and re-schedule! If you can start saying no to that party or function that is road blocking your desires and spend time with no one but your partner. Have a night in (or outside if that’s what you like!) with your skin pressing against theirs.

If you’re single, prioritise your self loving practice. Explore your body and new ways of pleasure! Think of your sexuality like a plant that needs watering and attention to grow, flower and thrive. It doesn’t grow on its own if you don’t nurture it. Working on your own sexuality will open you up to greater pleasure and creativity.

For singles looking for a partner or wanting to stop meeting the same types of people all the time; book in a session with me to discover how you are blocking your own happiness and changing the patterns that are keeping you back.

 

 

 

Resolve to “fight fair” for 2015.

9d8fd7accf094a12361a59f9b1cb8a8bArguments will happen but try to stay calm, truly listen to your partner and notice the pain that is prompting their words. My clients have transformed their relationship by learning how to communicate, listen and resolve conflict in a relationship more effectively.

Masterful business communicators can crumble and struggle with communicating in an intimate relationship because the stakes are so much higher and the rules can be a lot less clear.

Resolve to stop doing these things with your partner that are not conducive to a healthy relationship; stonewall (silent treatment), storm out, hanging up, go to bed angry, slam doors or lash out with cruel and personal attacks.

Don’t be a “kitchen sink fighter” and throw in every past blunder your partner has ever made! This will inflame the situation and build resentment. Keep things relevant and specific and try to be assertive not passive, aggressive or passive aggressive.

Book in a therapy session with me if you’d like to learn good relationship communication skills and transform how you relate with your lover.

Broaden your definition of sex for 2015.

Photo Manipulations by Alexandria ThompsonLet’s embrace our sexuality and the many different ways we can have “sex.”
Sex is not just about actual intercourse but about any erotic activity that involves some sort of touch. Some could say touch isn’t even needed- (why look at tantra and breath orgasms­) but it’s about being present and in your body!

Put down your mobile, get out of your head and connect with your lover! Explore different ways of giving and receiving pleasure that don’t focus on performance and goal orientations! And of course above all ­have fun! Joke, play and laugh. Sex with the right person is good for you!

 

 

Here’s to a lush and pleasure ­filled 2015!

Catherine O Dowd

Using poetry and writing in therapy

“Poetry Therapy” can help us to view things in different ways and gain more insight into our situations.  “Poetry therapy” can refer to  bibliotherapy (which is all about the use of literature) or  journal therapy (which is when I will ask you to do life-based reflective writing in your journal). It can also encompass storytelling and film and photography.

I’ve posted a poem by Walt Whitman for your reading pleasure. Let me know how it makes you feel once you have read it. Perhaps read it a second time to let the words really seep in.

Unfolded Out Of The Folds

UNFOLDED out of the folds of the woman, man comes unfolded, and is
always to come unfolded;
Unfolded only out of the superbest woman of the earth, is to come the
superbest man of the earth;
Unfolded out of the friendliest woman, is to come the friendliest
man;
Unfolded only out of the perfect body of a woman, can a man be form’d
of perfect body;
Unfolded only out of the inimitable poem of the woman, can come the
poems of man–(only thence have my poems come;)
Unfolded out of the strong and arrogant woman I love, only thence can
appear the strong and arrogant man I love;
Unfolded by brawny embraces from the well-muscled woman I love, only
thence come the brawny embraces of the man;
Unfolded out of the folds of the woman’s brain, come all the folds of
the man’s brain, duly obedient;
Unfolded out of the justice of the woman, all justice is unfolded;
Unfolded out of the sympathy of the woman is all sympathy: 10
A man is a great thing upon the earth, and through eternity–but
every jot of the greatness of man is unfolded out of woman,
First the man is shaped in the woman, he can then be shaped in
himself.
Walt Whitman

Having the courage to keep your heart open

We are powerful beyond measure, and so deeply vulnerable at the same time. This may seem like a dichotomy, but it isn’t. We have misunderstood real power. It has been something assertive, non-surrendering, pushing on through. This is not real power. This is simply willfulness. Real power is something else- receptivity, openness, the courage to keep your heart open on the darkest of days, the strength to feel it all even when the odds are stacked against you. Real power is showing up with your heart on your sleeve and absolutely refusing to waste one moment of your life hidden behind edginess and armor. -Jeff Brown

This quote really spoke to me because I speak to so many people who are jaded and bitter about love. I see so much heartbreak and a “closing in” of emotions. I see people going through the motions with sex and dating, or even pulling back and not dating anyone, because they don’t want to feel and they don’t want to hurt.  I’ve experienced this in my own life, so I can truly understand. I can understand the pain of heartbreak and not wanting to open yourself up to someone like that again, just to feel the pain of disappointment or betrayal again, but we can’t stay in this stagnant No Mans Land forever. We have to move forward and embrace growth and change.

A lot of us have very strong defenses up to keep this pain away. We can be too busy all the time, as a way of making sure someone can’t sneak through the cracks of our emotional fort. We can have “fuck buddies” and move on as soon as emotions start getting involved, we can serial date, or have serial relationships or we can close down emotionally. We can have sexual relations with others but be so closed down that our emotions are turned off and we don’t experience sex and intimacy to its fullest potential.

Get in touch today if you would like to break down those walls, open your heart, own your own power and experience love and intimacy without the armour and walls.  Let’s embrace our power and our vulnerability.

Orgasms are good for you!

Are you feeling down? An orgasm could be the pick me up you need. Orgasm releases endorphins, dopamine and oxytocin. These three are the big three of mood enhancing hormones. Dopamine is the same hormone that your body releases if you use a drug like cocaine or eat a really delicious food.  Mmm and orgasms are much better for your health than drugs!
A recent survey of 1,800 women found that over 30% of them used sexual release as a natural sedative. Is that how you get to sleep when you’re having trouble relaxing?  This brings to mind a certain Seinfeld episode, if anyone can remember that one? No one could get to sleep when the characters were having a little competition amongst themselves!
Orgasms are a natural painkiller. Victorian Doctors were onto something when they said orgasms could soothe certain aches and pains-expecially migraines and menstrual cramps. Who needs panadol?
Apparently the contractions that women have during orgasm can actually evacuate blood clots during menstruation, which can give temporary relief.
Guess what? We actually do “glow” after sex. The hormone DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), can actually make your skin healthier and this hormone skyrockets during sexual activity.When Harry Met Sally
Orgasms are wonderful for stress relief. A lot of us live hectic and busy lives and don’t have much time for relaxation. Hormones during orgasm help us relax and cope with stress and they help our mind have a break. Being sexual helps you be in the moment and only think about one thing only. Often we are always thinking of many things at once.  For many people the only time they have an experience similar to meditation is when they have sex or masturbate.
Orgasms also nourish the brain with oxygen. MRI images show that our  brains use much more oxygen during orgasm than usual. So a bit of self loving is good for your brain!
Orgasms benefit your emotional health..  If you know how to pleasure yourself and take yourself to orgasm it may actually increase your emotional intelligence and sexual confidence. You make much better decisions in relationships when you understand how your body works and that it is capable of amazing pleasure on its own.  You don’t need to affirm our status as a sexual being by looking to someone else. You know that you are a sexual being on your own and you can have mind blowing orgasms on your own.
Need some help or advice? Never had an orgasm or have a partner that hasn’t had an orgasm? Get in touch with me today for a confidential session.

Regular Yoga Increases Female Sex Drive….

A study in India has shown that regular yoga of about forty five minutes duration, increases women’s sex drive.  This recent research followed 40 women, aged between 22 and 55 years, over three months.
Women filled out a questionaire at the beginning and the end of the three months of yoga. The questionaire asked about their Female Sexual Function Index. Basically, this is a scale which measures  things such as desire, arousal, lubrication, pain, orgasm and mental satisfaction. At the end of the three months, 85% of women said they had better orgasms, improved arousal and lubrication and reduced pain during sex.

Researchers said the yoga had improved their pelivc floor muscles, the ones that direct our sexual responses.. The results also showed that yoga was particularly beneficial for women 45 years of age and older.

It makes sense really… Exercise alone can help increase your energy, reduce your stress and anxiety and boost your hormones. Yoga utilises exercise in combination with that all important breath work to really increase awareness of your body. If you book a session with me I can show you some really great breathing techniques that can help get you “out of your head” and in the “over-thinking” and “anxiety” zone and get more in touch with your body.  The more in tune you are with your body, then the more empowered and confident you feel sexually.  Anxiety is a sexual confidence killer. If you feel too trapped in your head and want to break out of this pattern then come and see me.

Book a session with me today to learn ways to increase your body awareness and have better more confident sex!

How to be a good sexual communicator..

On my Creative Sexpression facebook I just asked this question, “What makes great sex and what makes a great lover?” Check it out for some insightful and also quite amusing replies.
I believe one of the answers to these questions is; good sexual communication. If there’s something you really want but don’t know how to ask for it, either in life or in the bedroom, how can you enjoy true fulfillment?

Good sexual communication is a must for good sex, relationships and connection. A strong sexual self esteem, being truly sexually empowered and brimming with self confidence are essential for sexual communication. If someone feels so low they are always looking for validation in others, it will be difficult for them to communicate from a healthy place. If someone is truly sexually empowered they will not take rejection personally. Book a session with me today to embark on my sexual confidence program.

Good sexual education and knowledge are important. Sexual myths and expectation and stereotypes about men and women can make sexual communication a shady and confusing place. In school we are often only taught about sex education from a negative angle, without any focus on the positive aspects of sex and pleasure. We are taught about sex from a disease prevention and basic reproductive anatomy angle. No wonder it is so hard for us to be good sexual communicators when we were never taught these skills!

Learning how to communicate our wants, needs and desires and negotiate these accordingly are important skills in sexual communication we were never taught in school. Being a good listener and positive communicator are contribute to sexual communication with a partner.

Book a session with me today to learn how to be a better sexual communicator and have a better sex life!