Intimate Alchemy with Schema Therapy

Studies surveying the frequency of sexual intercourse between partners found that a significant number had not experienced sexual intimacy in the previous year (Journal of Gerontology, 2019). Another study found that in a group of 18,000 adults from the US, 13.5 percent had not had sex for five years (Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2018). The developmental attachment-based model of Schema Therapy is uniquely suited to helping couples identify whether their avoidance arises from: 1) a relatively new defined self-identification of asexuality or 2) a default coping mode of Avoidance. If it is the former, developing Healthy Adult Mode can facilitate the individuals ability to identify and claim their sexual orientation of asexuality thus leading to a deeper understanding of their sexual avoidance; and, if it is the latter, evidence-based interventions integrated into the Schema Therapy model can enhance one’s sexual skill set, sense of emotional and spiritual connection, as well as physical intimacy.