Help! My libido is gone! Understanding Sex Therapy for Women
What is Sex Therapy For Women?
Sex therapy is a specialised approach that draws on the emotional, physical and hormonal aspects of libido. By design it exists to address the unique sexual health concerns and challenges that women face throughout their lives. This sometimes comes to a crescendo in mid-life and menopause when hormonal, physical and mental health play a significant role in diminishing or a non-existent libido.
This inclusive therapeutic approach recognises and respects the diverse spectrum of female sexual experience, creating a safe and supportive environment where women can explore and enhance their sexual well-being, whether individually or within their relationships.
What unique about this at Ponti Health is that your sex therapist, works in a multi disciplinary practise with access to the best of minds in primary care, endocrinology, psychiatry, pelvic physiotherapy. Your journey is supported by our multi-disciplinary knowledge bank of experts.
Ponti’s Women-Centered Approach
Meet Lara Boille, Ponti Health’s Integrative Sex Therapist and Naturopath
Drawing on her extensive background in Naturopathy and deep understanding of women's health, Lara conducts comprehensive bio-psycho-social-sexual assessments that explore your unique experiences as a woman, your concerns, and your aspirations. Through collaborative partnership with you and your partner(s), she develops personalised treatment plans that honour your individual needs and relationship goals within the context of your female experience.
Lara is committed to creating a kind therapeutic space that celebrates the diversity of women's experiences and welcomes women of all backgrounds, identities, ages, and life stages. Whether you're navigating questions of sexual self-discovery, addressing challenges related to hormonal changes, working through intimacy concerns, or exploring sexuality after life transitions, Lara provides compassionate, personalised support throughout your journey toward sexual health and fulfilment.
“I’m a passionate advocate for reframing midlife as a time of awakening, not decline—a powerful threshold that deserves attention and support.”
Types of Sex Therapy
Individual Therapy
In one-on-one sessions, Lara draws from various evidence-based therapeutic approaches specifically tailored to women's sexual experiences. Her toolkit includes Sensate Focus techniques that emphasise mindfulness and sensory awareness to deepen intimacy and connection with your own body, alongside The Good Enough Sex Model, which encourages self-acceptance and helps women embrace a realistic, healthy perspective on their sexual experiences.
Through Integrative Sexual Health Counselling, Lara addresses the interconnected physical, emotional, and relational aspects of women's sexual wellness, including hormonal influences, life stage transitions, and the unique challenges women face. She also incorporates Cognitive Behavioural Techniques to help identify and transform thought patterns and behaviours that may be impacting your sexual well-being.
Relationship-Focused Work: Supporting Women in Partnership
Understanding that women's relationship concerns require specialised attention, Lara's couples approach involves a carefully structured process that centres the woman's experience and needs. Partners begin with a joint 90-minute session to identify shared concerns and establish therapeutic goals, with particular attention to how these impact the woman's sexual well-being.
This is followed by separate 60-minute individual sessions, providing the woman with dedicated space to explore her personal history, unique needs, and experiences in confidence. The process then moves into ongoing collaborative sessions of 60 minutes or more, where partners work together while ensuring the woman's voice and needs remain central to the therapeutic process.
A Multidisciplinary Women’s Health Perspective
Recognising that women's sexual wellness can be influenced by various factors including hormonal changes, reproductive health, menopause, pregnancy, and other women-specific health considerations, Lara may recommend collaboration with other women's healthcare specialists when appropriate. This might include working alongside gynaecologists, endocrinologists, pelvic floor physiotherapists, or other practitioners within our comprehensive women's health network. Your privacy remains paramount, with all external consultations requiring your explicit consent.
The Therapeutic Process for Women
Sessions typically span 60 to 75 minutes, with frequency and duration tailored to your individual circumstances and life stage as a woman. Lara provides flexibility in session planning, recognising the importance of accommodating hormonal cycles, life transitions, and the unique rhythm of women's sexual health needs, including both active treatment phases and long-term maintenance considerations.
Beyond The Therapy Room: Empowering Women
Much of the transformative work in women's sex therapy happens between sessions through carefully designed homework exercises and guided practices specifically created for women's experiences. Lara empowers women with practical tools that promote sexual self-discovery, encourage personal growth, and facilitate positive changes in sexual well-being. These exercises honour women's unique physiology, psychology, and life experiences, ensuring meaningful progress at your own pace and comfort level.
Start your journey to better health today.
At Ponti Health, Australia's premier women's medical practice and the only clinic of its kind in the world, we understand and believe that sexual wellness is an integral part of women's overall health and happiness. Our women-centred approach to sex therapy recognises the unique complexities and beauty of female sexuality across all life stages. If you're ready to explore how our specialised sex therapy might support your journey as a woman, we're here to help you take that important first step.