A private, talk-based space for individuals and couples to explore questions about desire, closeness, and connection, at a pace you set. Psychologists registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW), and counsellors (CCCs) certified by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) on one team. In-person sessions in Edmonton and St. Albert. Virtual sessions available across Alberta.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether Sexuality and Intimacy Therapy Is Right for You

You may not be sure this is something people bring to a therapist. It can feel too private to say out loud, or not serious enough to justify an appointment. You might also wonder whether you would be judged, or whether talking about it could make things more awkward at home.

Maybe you have started pulling back from affection because it feels like a test you might fail. Maybe you and your partner keep having the same conversation about sex, and it keeps ending in silence. Or maybe your own desire feels different than it used to, and you cannot quite explain the change, even to yourself.

Sexuality and intimacy can be shaped by many things at once: stress, health, life stage, personal history, values, and how a relationship has been going. Reacting to those pressures is a common human response. It does not mean something is permanently wrong with you or your relationship.

If you are trying to work out whether talking with someone might help, the sections below explain what this kind of counselling involves, what it does not involve, and how people usually begin. You can read at your own pace and decide what feels relevant.

Who We Help

People come to this kind of counselling with very different questions. Some are ready to book. Others are still deciding, or are reading on behalf of a partner or someone close to them.

This service may be a good fit if you are:

• an individual with questions or worries about desire, closeness, or comfort with intimacy
• part of a couple wanting to talk about differences in needs, expectations, or boundaries
• finding it hard to talk about sex or affection with a partner (you may also find our Communication and Negotiation page useful)
• exploring how sexuality fits with your identity, culture, faith, or values (related support is described on our Gender Identity Counselling page)
• noticing that your intimate life has shifted after stress, parenthood, a health change, or another life transition
• gathering information for a partner or family member, so you can share it with them when the time feels right

This service may not be the right fit if you:

• need help right now because you or someone else is unsafe. Please use the crisis resources below.
• have physical pain, new physical symptoms, or questions about medication. Please speak with a physician or other medical provider. Counselling can run alongside medical care, but it does not replace it.
• need a report for court, a custody matter, or another legal process. Forensic and legal needs are outside this therapy service, and psychological assessments are a separate service.
• are looking for offence-specific or court-mandated treatment related to sexual harm. This service does not provide that kind of programming. The administrative team can talk with you about what other options may exist.

If past sexual abuse or assault is part of what you are carrying, you may also wish to read about our Sexual Abuse and Assault Support service.

If You Need Help Right Now

Wholesome Psychology offers scheduled counselling and cannot respond to emergencies. If you are in danger or worried about your safety, please contact one of these services:

• 911 if you or someone else is in immediate danger
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)
• Family Violence Info Line (Alberta): 310-1818 (24/7, toll-free)
• 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 988 (24/7)

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What Sexuality and Intimacy Therapy Is

Sexuality and intimacy therapy is talk-based counselling. It gives you a confidential space to talk about desire, closeness, communication, boundaries, identity, and how intimacy fits into your life. Sessions can be individual or, when it suits your goals and a clinician is available, with a partner.

The aim is not to match one picture of what a "normal" intimate life should look like. It is to understand what matters to you, within your own values and boundaries, and to work toward goals you set. You can read more about how we work on our Our Unique Approach page.

Sexuality and intimacy therapy is not:

• Medical care. Counselling does not replace assessment or treatment from a physician or other medical professional for physical symptoms, pain, or medication questions. With your consent, your therapist may talk with you about whether coordinating with another provider would be useful.
• A diagnostic or assessment service. This page does not offer a diagnosis. Psychological assessments are a separate service with their own process and fees.
• A legal service or investigative process. Therapy does not gather evidence, make findings, or provide reports for legal matters.
• Crisis intervention. If you need immediate help, please use the crisis resources above.
• Physical in any way. Sessions are conversations. There is never any sexual contact or sexual activity between a therapist and a client.

You set the pace. You decide what to talk about and when, and you can pause or change direction at any point. What you share is confidential, with a small number of legal limits your therapist will explain in your first session. Full details are in the Confidentiality and Privacy section below.

Each clinician works within the scope of their own training and professional regulation. If a concern falls outside what your therapist can offer, they can talk with you about other options.

Signs Intimacy Concerns May Be Affecting You

You do not need a label to look for support. These are some everyday patterns people describe. You may recognize one, several, or none of them.

• Feeling tense, guilty, or embarrassed in the lead-up to intimacy
• Getting caught up in worried thoughts during closeness, such as whether you are "doing it right"
• Having the same disagreement about frequency, affection, or who initiates, without it ever feeling settled
• Avoiding hugs or affection because they might lead somewhere you are not ready for
• Noticing changes in desire, arousal, or physical comfort that feel confusing or worrying
• Feeling distant from a partner even when other parts of the relationship are going well
• Feeling unsure what you want, or feeling that what you want does not fit with your values, faith, or upbringing
• Finding it hard to say no, or to ask for what you would like
• Feeling disconnected from your body after a change such as illness, a new baby, or a major loss

If any physical changes are new, painful, or lasting, it makes sense to check in with a physician as well. Counselling and medical care can work side by side.

Having these experiences does not mean something is permanently wrong. Sexuality and intimacy can involve emotional, relational, and life-context factors, not only physical ones (Brotto et al., 2016). Talking these patterns through with a trained clinician may help you understand them more clearly and decide what you would like to do next.

How Sexuality and Intimacy Therapy Works Here

• Find your therapist. You can browse Our Therapists or use the Match with a Therapist tool. If you would rather talk it through, the administrative team can help at 780-904-4880.
• Book your first session. You can book online. Your first session includes a conversation about consent, confidentiality, and what you hope to get from counselling. You do not need to share anything you are not ready to share.
• Build your plan together. You and your therapist set goals and choose an approach as a team. If you attend with a partner, your therapist can also explain how each person's goals and shared information will be handled.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are 50 minutes, usually weekly or every two weeks. The schedule can change as your needs change.
• Progress check-ins. Your therapist checks in with you regularly about how counselling is going. Your plan can shift if your goals or circumstances change.

There is no fixed number of sessions. Counselling is a collaboration, and your view of what is helping and what is not matters at every stage. You can read more on our Getting Started with Therapy page.

Evidence and Approaches

The research gathered for this page is limited. It supports a general, person-centred way of working rather than any single branded technique, so the approaches below are described in those terms. Your therapist can explain the specific methods they use and why.

Person-Centred, Collaborative Counselling

What it helps with: Creating a respectful, non-judgmental space where you lead conversations about sexual health and intimacy.

Evidence summary: The Public Health Agency of Canada has published guidance on taking a person-centred approach to sexual health (Public Health Agency of Canada [PHAC], 2024). This guidance supports using respectful, person-centred language when sexual health is discussed.

Limitations: The guidance is written for health professionals in general and focuses on how conversations are held. It does not measure the outcomes of counselling for sexuality or intimacy concerns.

Exploring Psychological and Relational Context

What it helps with: Understanding how emotions, thoughts, relationship patterns, and life circumstances may connect with what you are experiencing.

Evidence summary: An article in The Journal of Sexual Medicine examines the psychological and interpersonal dimensions of sexual function (Brotto et al., 2016). Its scope reflects research attention to partner, relational, and contextual factors alongside physical ones.

Limitations: Only limited excerpts of this article were available for this page. It does not show that counselling changes sexual function, and individual experiences vary widely.

Coordinated Care Alongside Medical Assessment

What it helps with: Keeping physical health in view, so counselling supports care from a physician or other medical provider rather than replacing it.

Evidence summary: The World Health Organization's ICD-11 classification places conditions related to sexual health in their own dedicated chapter (World Health Organization [WHO], 2026). Identifying whether any such condition applies requires individual assessment by a qualified provider, which this counselling service does not offer.

Limitations: ICD-11 is a classification system, not a treatment study. It does not show how well counselling or combined care works.

What Results to Expect

Change in this area is rarely a straight line. Some weeks may feel clearer, and others may bring up new questions or old discomfort. Ups and downs do not mean counselling has failed.

Some people notice shifts within a few months. Others find that longer-term work suits them better. Outcomes vary, and no therapy can guarantee a particular result.

Several things can influence how counselling goes for you:

• what you are hoping to understand or change
• your current circumstances, including stress, health, and relationship context
• whether a partner is involved, and how ready each person feels
• how comfortable you feel with your therapist

Fit matters a great deal with a topic this personal. If your therapist does not feel like the right match, you can ask to work with someone else or try a different approach. Asking for a change is an ordinary part of finding the right fit.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What you share in therapy is confidential. Because sexuality and intimacy are so personal, it makes sense to know exactly what that means before you begin.

Psychologists at Wholesome Psychology are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) and follow the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists. Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW). Each clinician follows the standards set by their own profession.

Your personal and health information is also protected by Alberta privacy law, including the Health Information Act (HIA) and the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). Which law applies can depend on the clinician's profession and practice setting. These laws set rules for how information is collected, used, stored, and shared.

There are a few situations where a clinician may be legally required to share information without your consent:

• when there is a risk of serious harm to you or to someone else
• when there is reason to suspect a child is being abused or neglected, which must be reported under Alberta law
• when a court orders the release of records

Your clinician will explain these limits clearly in your first session. If you attend as a couple, they can also explain how information shared by each partner will be handled. You are welcome to ask questions about privacy before you share anything personal, either with your therapist or with the administrative team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to describe private or sexual details?

No. You decide what to share and when. You can start with how things feel day to day, such as tension around affection or a pattern in your relationship, without going into specifics or recounting past experiences. Your therapist will follow your lead, and you can say "I'm not ready to talk about that" at any time.

Is what I share kept private?

Yes, with a few legal limits. Your information is protected by professional standards and by Alberta privacy law, including the HIA and PIPA. The exceptions involve serious risk of harm, suspected abuse or neglect of a child, and court orders. Your therapist will explain these in your first session, and the Confidentiality and Privacy section above has more detail.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no set number. Some people come with one specific question and prefer shorter-term work. Others choose longer-term work, especially when several parts of life or a relationship are involved. You and your therapist will review progress regularly and adjust the plan together.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

That is okay, and it can happen. Feeling comfortable with your therapist matters, especially with a topic this personal. You can contact the administrative team at 780-904-4880, and they can help you find a different clinician. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can I access therapy online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available across Alberta, and the same confidentiality standards apply as in person. If you choose virtual sessions, it can help to find a private spot where you will not be overheard.

Do I need to come with a partner?

No. You can attend on your own, and many of the concerns on this page can be explored individually. If you would like a partner to join, couples sessions may be possible depending on your goals and clinician availability. You can also learn more about Couples Counselling.

Will anything physical happen in sessions?

No. Sessions are conversations. There is never any sexual contact or sexual activity between a therapist and a client, and counselling does not include physical examinations, which belong with a medical provider. You stay in control of what is discussed, and you can ask about the purpose of any question.

What if I feel pressured or unsafe in my relationship?

Your safety comes first. If you feel pressured into sexual activity or afraid of a partner, you can call the Family Violence Info Line at 310-1818 (24/7, toll-free). Call 911 if you are in immediate danger. If counselling is part of your support, you can ask about individual sessions rather than attending with your partner, and your therapist can talk with you about safety. A scheduled appointment is not a substitute for emergency help.

Meet Your Clinicians

Our team includes Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Canadian Certified Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists, and Student Therapists. All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Provisional psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist.

Clinicians' training and areas of focus vary. Each profile on Our Therapists describes that clinician's background, so you can look for someone whose experience fits what you would like to explore, including sexuality, intimacy, and relationships. The Match with a Therapist tool can help you narrow your options. The administrative team at 780-904-4880 can tell you who is currently accepting new clients.

If You Would Like to Talk With Someone

If you would like to learn more or take a next step, you can:

• Book a session online
• Use the Match with a Therapist tool
• Call the administrative team at 780-904-4880
• Email info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Read Getting Started with Therapy to see what the first steps look like

Starting the conversation is enough.

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

References

• Brotto, L., Atallah, S., Johnson-Agbakwu, C., Rosenbaum, T., Abdo, C., Byers, E. S., Graham, C., Nobre, P., & Wylie, K. (2016). Psychological and interpersonal dimensions of sexual function and dysfunction. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 13(4), 538-571.
• Public Health Agency of Canada. (2024). A person-centered approach to sexual health. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/person-centered-approach-sexual-health.html
• World Health Organization. (2026). ICD-11 for mortality and morbidity statistics: Chapter 17, Conditions related to sexual health. https://icd.who.int/en