Shay Rees-Davies
Human Sexuality Specialist
This encompasses how you see yourself in terms of who you're attracted to (sexual orientation), your gender (gender identity), how you express your gender (gender roles), what kind of sexual activity you enjoy (sexual preferences), how you choose to live your life sexually (sexual lifestyles), and your confidence and comfort with your sexuality (sexual self-esteem).
As we age, our sexual identity changes due to many factors that include our physical body (hormones, climacteric, illness etc), mental health, social constructs, cultural expectations, relationship dynamics, and general lived experience. The only constant is change, and I am here to help you embrace that, and find the best in your sexuality, wherever you are in life.
This area focuses on helping people overcome difficulties with sexual function, such as vaginismus, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, or issues with desire, arousal, or orgasm. While medical intervention by a specialist may be necessary, therapeutic support helps to adjust, manage and overcome anxiety related to sexual dysfunction. Therapy is invaluable for partners who are often left bewildered by the sexual problems their significant other is facing.
We live in a society where we are generally, disconnected from our body. We tend to think of the mind and body as seperate; which is simply not the case. Psycho-somatic Therapy combines psychological and physical approaches to improve sexual satisfaction. It aims to understand how emotions and physical sensations influence your sexuality and ultimately help you pursue pleasure through the safety of your entire being.
Sexuality is a central aspect of being human throughout life, from birth. This area of practice covers sex education tailored to different age groups - children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. It addresses the evolving needs and concerns about sexuality throughout life.
One of the most common issues I deal with at the moment in adults is Menopause and Peri-Menopause.
The most common issue I deal with in adolescents at the moment, is education about consent and coersion.
This explores how different religions, cultures, and traditions view sexuality and how these views can affect your sexual identity and experiences.
Common issues in this area of practice include sexual shame due to religious conditioning of purity culture (ie: no sex before marriage, virginity = purity etc)
This focuses on the unique needs and challenges faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and asexual individuals. It can include topics like gender-affirming care (support through medical/surgical procedures, motivation letters for name&gender marker changes on official documents, social transition, etc), gender dysphoria (distress caused by a mismatch between gender identity and assigned sex at birth), and recovering from conversion therapy (attempts to change someone's sexual orientation). I also provide education and support for parents/family who would like to learn more about the LGBTQA+ community.
This area addresses unhealthy patterns of sexual behavior, often involving excessive use of pornography, frequent casual sex, exhibitionism, voyuerism or frotterism. Compulsive sexual behavior is sometimes called hypersexuality or sexual "addiction". It's an intense focus on sexual fantasies, urges or behaviors that can't be controlled. This causes distress and problems in an individuals general health, their job, relationships or other parts of life.
“Trauma is not what happened to you, but what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you,” Gabor Mate.
This support focuses on helping individuals who have experienced sexual assault, abuse, or harassment cope with the emotional, psychological, physical and social effects. It does not matter how long ago the traumatic event/s occured. All trauma is valid. All survivors deserve freedom from suffering.
This type of therapy helps people navigate relationship issues. I am experienced in navigating these issues in 'traditional' monogamous relationships (exclusive relationships) as well as ethical non-monogamous relationships (open relationships with agreed-upon boundaries).
Sometimes relationship therapy is about navigating speration and/or divorce, and dealing with the grief of that process.
Sometimes relationship therapy is about acknowledging an abusive/dangerous situation.
At all times, relationship therapy considers each partner as their own unique Self, as well as part of the Whole.
Healthy sexuality can be harmed during active additction and once in recoverey, sober sex, intimacy and relationships can be difficult. This area of practice addresses the specific challenges people in addiction recovery face regarding intimacy and healthy sexual expression. It is about learning to get to know yourself again, to love and express your sexuality in a healthy, fun way. And, when the time is right, to share this experience with a partner/s.
This explores sexualities and relationships that fall outside the mainstream, such as polyamory (multiple loving partners) or asexuality (little to no sexual attraction). It also relates to topics including KINK, BDS, Fetish, Swinging etc. There is no 'normal' vs 'abnormal', only what is good and healthy vs what is bad and unhealthy within context.
These reports are prepared for legal purposes, such as documenting sexual dysfunction after a spinal cord injury, assisting with investigations of sexual crimes, or evaluating cases of gender discrimination.