Sexual pain can affect wellbeing, identity, intimacy, relationships and sexual confidence. Psychosexual and relationship therapists may work with clients who have a diagnosed pain condition, symptoms without a clear medical explanation, or a combination of physical, psychological and relational factors.
This session explores how therapists can support the emotional, sexual and relational impact of sexual pain. It introduces common presentations, including provoked vulvodynia, vaginismus and genitourinary syndrome of menopause, so therapists can understand the language used by clients and medical professionals. Medical information will be provided as background; the session will not teach therapists to diagnose, physically assess or medically treat sexual pain.
Using clinical cases, participants will consider how physical and psychosexual factors can interact. The session will explore collaborative formulation, sensitive language and ways of helping clients recognise mind-body connections without suggesting their pain is imagined or “all in the mind”. It will also consider life experiences, persistent pain, fear and avoidance, partners’ experiences and changes to intimacy.
Participants will leave better equipped to work therapeutically with sexual pain, support couples and recognise when medical review or multidisciplinary input may be appropriate.
Class schedule:
9:30 – 9:40 am | Welcome, scope and learning aims
Introductions, safe participation and the boundaries of the therapist’s role.
9:40 – 10:05 am | Sexual pain in context
Prevalence, emotional and relational impact, and common presentations including vulvodynia, vaginismus and genitourinary syndrome of menopause.
10:05 – 10:35 am | Understanding the whole picture
Physical, psychosexual and relational influences, basic physiology, clients’ medical experiences and when further medical input may be needed.
10:35 – 11:05 am | Mind-body interaction and psychosexual formulation
Collaborative formulation, sensitive language, life events, anxiety, trauma, shame, fear and avoidance. Case illustration included.
11:05 – 11:20 am
Break
11:20 – 11:50 am | Therapeutic work with sexual pain
Pacing, consent, shared goals, persistent pain and responding appropriately to physical or medical treatments clients may be using.
11:50 am – 12:15 pm | Partners, relationships and intimacy
Communication, pressure, loss, partners’ sexual function and developing flexible approaches to intimacy.
12:15 – 12:30 pm | Case discussion and questions
Comparing cases with different physical and psychosexual components, consolidating learning and answering questions.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
- Describe the prevalence and emotional, sexual and relational impact of sexual pain.
- Understand common sexual pain presentations while remaining within therapeutic scope.
- Develop a collaborative psychosexual formulation that respects the client as the expert in their experience.
- Help clients explore mind-body connections without dismissing or minimising physical symptoms.
- Consider how life events, fear, avoidance, shame and relationship patterns may affect sexual pain.
- Explore the impact of sexual pain on partners, relationships and intimacy.
- Support clients living with persistent pain.
- Recognise when medical review, referral or multidisciplinary support may be appropriate.
About the Trainer
Dr Leila Frodsham is a Consultant Gynaecologist and Psychosexual Medicine Lead at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
Leila Frodsham is a Consultant Gynaecologist and Psychosexual Medicine Lead at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. She is a Menopause Specialist with the British Menopause Society and a core member of the GSTT endometriosis team, working across women’s health, psychosexual medicine, and complex pain conditions.
Leila is a long-standing Seminar Leader at the Institute of Psychosexual Medicine (IPM), where she has also served for more than 11 years on council in roles including Programme Secretary, Chair, and Media & Communications Officer. She also holds key educational positions at King’s College London as Women’s Health Block Co-Lead, Transition to F1 Lead, and Senior Educational Supervisor, and is a Foundation Training Programme Director within Postgraduate Medical Education.
She graduated in Medicine from Leicester University in 1995 and has worked across the Midlands, South East Coast, and London. Her research at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital explored assisted conception in HIV-positive women. Her specialist interests include sexual pain disorders, sex and endometriosis, sex and cancer, sex and menopause, tocophobia, and the psychosexual care of neurodivergent, LGBTQ, and global majority patients.
