Facts About Anatomy That Your Clients Need

Last week, I shared my case for why it’s important to talk about sexual anatomy with your clients. I was delighted to find that the post resonated with many of my readers.

This week, I’m building on last week’s post by sharing some facts and psychoeducation about anatomy. Not enough people know this information, and I’m willing to bet you have at least one client who could benefit from learning it.

• Fewer than 30% of people with vaginas reach orgasm from penetration alone. If you have a client who is experiencing distress because they or their partner cannot reach orgasm solely from penetration, they should know that is completely normal and to be expected. They are in a solid majority.
• People with a clitoris take on average 25-30 minutes of direct clitoral stimulation to reach orgasm. Many people have a mistaken idea that clitoral stimulation is not necessary, or that just a few minutes should be sufficient. Again, if this mistaken idea is causing distress to your client, they should know that the way their body functions is perfectly normal and to be expected.
• Most people with a penis can reach orgasm without being fully hard. A certain degree of hardness is necessary for penetration, but not usually for orgasm.
• Everyone’s sex parts and bodies are different. Sexual function, preference, desire, and every other aspect of sexuality is individual to the point that comparison is meaningless. All different, all normal.

Too many people are ashamed of their sexual anatomy, the way their bodies look or function, and the ways they experience pleasure. By sharing some simple (but weirdly hard-to-find) facts, you can take away that shame, and ultimately make a huge difference in your clients’ lives and relationships. I’m going to be sharing part two of this post next week, so check back then for more anatomy-related facts.

This topic is near and dear to my heart. One of the biggest motivations for designing my online course, Assessing and Treating Sex Issues in Psychotherapy, was to make sure that therapists have access not only to the techniques and interventions they need to work effectively with sex issues, but also a solid grounding in anatomy, physiology, and sexual health.  This makes it possible to identify pressing issues, normalize human diversity, and be true advocates for clients’ health. I love to help therapists learn how to sort out the physical and emotional aspects of simple and complicated combinations of sex and relational issues. If you’re interested in learning more about the course, which opens for enrollment this February, click here.