To send a link and summary of this article to a friend, click here . It's one thing to suggest setting time each week for sex. It's another thing to ask for a romantic weekend away without the kids. It's yet another to come home with a black lace negligee from Victoria's Secret or suggest watching an erotic movie together. Many men balk at the idea of going to a sex therapist, Dr. Crenshaw says, because they tend to want a quick medical fix.
Women are typically more open to the idea of therapy.
A couple may want to seek sex therapy if a problem persists for more than six months and they have tried all possible solutions without success, says Dr. Goldberg. But the big sign that you need help is when bedroom problems spill out into the living room, dining room, the kitchen, and everywhere else. Many partners won't even hear of it. In fact, one of Dr. Crenshaw's clients only got her husband to go to sex therapy after she rowed the two of them out to the middle of a lake and threatened to throw the oars overboard if he didn't go. To explore somewhat more practical ways of convincing your partner, try the prevention approach, Dr. Crenshaw suggests.