The Sexy Narrative
Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
I’ve been talking with a lot of clients during sex therapy sessions about narratives lately - the stories we tell ourselves about our lives. Narratives are powerful and shape the way we view ourselves and the world around us.
Harmful Narratives You May Have About Sex
If you grew up in an environment that didn’t talk about sex, or spoke of it in negative or fear-based terms, that creates a powerful narrative.
Here are just a few of the examples I’ve come across:
Sex is bad, I’m having sexual thoughts/feelings, so I’m bad.
Sex is embarrassing.
Only “those kinds of people” are interested in sex.
I want/think about sex too much.
I want/think about sex too little.
I don’t have to right kind of body to be sexual.
Sex is too embarrassing to talk about with my partner.
Many of these narratives are powerful enough on their own, but they often get attached to painful emotions which heightens the power they have over us. If you are struggling with an unhelpful narrative surrounding sex, give yourself a break. You aren’t broken. You’re doing the best you can with the narratives you’ve been given.
Narratives About Sex That Lead to Increased Peace and Pleasure
The good news is that we can change our narratives around sex - much like forging a new path through a forest - we can create narratives that lead to increased peace and pleasure. Some examples:
Sex is good, pleasurable, and multipurpose. My sexual thoughts and feelings are natural and I can choose to engage with those thoughts and feelings in ways that are right for me.
Sex feels embarrassing sometimes, because it’s not something I have practiced talking/thinking about yet. The more I talk about it with myself/my partner, the easier it will get.
Sex is a normal human experience.
However much I think about or want sex is the right amount for me. Everyone has a different erotic template, and that’s okay.
All bodies deserve pleasure in life, there is no such thing as a “right kind of body”. My body is good, and I appreciate it for its realness.
My partner can’t read my mind, so if I tell them what I enjoy sexually, we will both have a more satisfying experience.
Sex Therapy Can Help
Most of us have inherited unhelpful sexual narratives, but this doesn’t mean we have to hold onto them throughout our lives.
If you are feeling stuck in your sexual narratives, and need help overcoming them, call 801-944-4555 or text 801.944.4555 to schedule a session with Alice or any of our sex therapists in Utah.
