Sexual Dysfunction, The Patriarchy & How Hypnosis Can Help

Hypnosis

Mar 10

In a society built on a patriarchal regime, it's no wonder why women suffer from low libido, orgasmic dysfunction, vaginismus, performance anxiety, painful intercourse, and self-shame.

Perhaps you have struggled with body image and self-identity. Maybe someone told you that your sensitivity is a weakness or that you are too direct... which, let's be honest, that means someone thinks you're a bitch. We get flack for never fitting into a mold we were NOT made to fit into. As progressive as society has gotten, we still have a long way to go to combat systemic gender inequality in our system. Whether it's tick toks biased algorithm or someone trying to sell us diet tea, everywhere we look, we can find someone telling women what it means to be a woman rather than promoting an individualist agenda that allows us to express ourselves; however, the fuck we want. So with that being said, let's get into it shall we?

What is Hypnotherapy & what does a session look like?

Hypnosis can be called Hypnotherapy, but I want to clarify that Hypnotherapy is not the same as psychotherapy. For example, in a session with a sex therapist, you can expect to talk about the problems you're facing and the triggers coming up for you. Whereas in a hypnotherapy session, the focus is on reprograming the belief structure that is causing the problem in the first place.

When working with a Hypnotherapist, the first things they will go over with you is sexual history, what healthy intimacy looks like to you, information on authority figures in childhood, and past trauma. The reason for this extensive background knowledge is essential, and I'll take you why. Let's say you grew up in a home with a parent who was angry all the time and shamed you for being sensitive. This act can disempower you and lead to a whole lot of self-shame in the bedroom, and this shame can physically manifest into several sexual dysfunctions. Or, perhaps you learned about intimacy through porn, which is the lens you believe is normal and healthy. This could lead you not to express your authentic self in the bedroom instead of playing the role you think you are meant to play. When a hypnotherapist digs deep into your background, they can see the red flags and limiting beliefs getting in the way of you stepping into your sexual power.

After the foundational information is shared, you will be guided into trance using an induction, which uses terminology that focuses on your body and feelings rather than your thoughts and judgments. This could include light breath work, EFT, mental confusion, and progressive physical relaxation. I also want to note really quickly that even though a Hypnotherapist is dealing with sexual arousal and dysfunction, there is by no means anything sexual going on. Rather, the beginning sessions are built around identifying the event that caused this belief or recognizing the part of your subconscious mind limiting your authentic self from expressing itself. And future sessions are focused on reprogramming the belief structure to fit the client's narrative. Sometimes people only need one session; other times, people have multiple sessions. It all depends on the individual's blocks and how much healing needs to occur in the subconscious mind.

Has it been researched at all?

Hypnosis has a pretty big stigma attached to it, with many making the assumption that it's more of a parlor trick than a therapeutic process. And with a considerable lack of studies done in this field, it can be challenging to find evidence that hypnosis works. However, of the studies that have been done, there is considerable evidence that hypnosis is an effective tool for sexual dysfunctions of all kinds.

In 1988, F. Bruinsma and R. Stichting published a review of the use of hypnosis and sexual dysfunction. Their findings were some of the first documented on how hypnosis can positively affect this issue. They concluded that hypnosis for sexual dysfunction has promising outcomes, and more research should be done to know better what form of hypnosis is best served for this kind of treatment. And a 2011 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis concludes that hypnosis gives clients a new inner awareness enabling them to empower their sexuality from within. In another case, a 2018 study called "Clinical Hypnosis and Female Sexual Dysfunction: A Case Report" found that Hypnotherapy could relieve both physical and psychological symptoms stating, "The results of Hypnotherapy demonstrate that symptoms were significantly alleviated and, consequently, the quality of life improved".

Now, there is more research that needs to be acquired. Still, for that to happen, we need the medical and hypnosis communities to consider how sexual dysfunctions limit the quality of life in humans. Unfortunately, there are a lot of medications out there that put a bandaid on this issue, so, unfortunately, I wouldn't hold your breath for any upcoming funding for this topic.

Why this work iso important…

Statistics show that 50% of women struggle with sexual function and dysfunction. That's 5x times higher than men. One of the primary reasons for this is that history has not been kind to women. In fact, women have been shamed for simply existing, and all that crap has led to a long list of self-esteem issues, body image problems, a lack of self-worth, and the inability to feel they deserve pleasure, and most of these problems are passed down through generations. With 80% of physical diseases caused by psychosomatic issues, we can conclude that sexual dysfunction is not just a biological issue. These feelings manifest themselves in the body in the form of low libido, performance anxiety, pain during intercourse, or difficulty in achieving an orgasm. Society's expectations on how women should act is absolutely part of the problem. In our culture, women have constantly been shamed for everything from their sensitivity to their physical appearance... This work empowers you to cultivate divine feminity in whatever way that feels authentic to you without finding a solution that involves taking medication or seeing a talk therapist for years on end.

What would the world look like if more women felt magnetic in their sexual power? For more women to utilize their feminine gifts as tools to heal that toxic masculinity that has ruled over us for generations? The more we connect to who we truly feel we are, the more we can step into our power.

I encourage you to research how you can take back your power. Look for unconventional ways to work through sexual dysfunction. Whether it be pelvic floor therapy, classic Chinese medicine, hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy, art therapy, or any other modality that you find resonates with your healing journey.

Blessings, Emily Wheeler