Wanting Sex Again: How to Rediscover Your Desire and Heal a Sexless Marriage by Laurie J Watson
Summary:
Wanting Sex Again is written for women struggling with low libido. Ms. Watson addresses many of the reasons that women have low desire, from past abuse or affairs, to body image problems or conflicting messages about sex. She also explores how sexuality can be impacted across the lifespan.
About the author:
Laurie Watson has been a counselor for 27 years and is an expert when it comes to sex. She’s an LPC, LMFT and a certified sex therapist through AASECT. She writes the Married and Still Doing It blog for Psychology Today, hosts the Foreplay Radio Sex Therapy podcast and is the director of a large private practice in North Carolina. You can learn more about her here.
What we love:
The most important things I look for in a book like this it that it is sex positive and non-pathologizing. Wanting Sex Again gets full stars on both accounts. Ms. Watson normalizes the experience of low libido and many of the sexual struggles women commonly face. She teaches each concept through the story of a client or couple that is dealing with it and shows how they address it while weaving in practical advice and outlining a path toward sexual satisfaction.
What we didn’t:
In order to tackle a topic like low libido, Wanting Sex Again has to cover a broad range of potential causes. I found that very useful as a therapist but some of my clients have reported that a few chapters spoke to them and the rest seemed irrelevant.
Clinical Use:
I think this should be required reading for anyone working with couples or clients who struggle sexually. I’ve recommended it to several clients with mixed results. It tends to go over better with women who are more educated and with those who are highly invested in improving their sex lives. I’ve used the language and concepts from this book successfully with all types of clients though.