Millennial’s Sexual Relationships: New Clinical Considerations

Recent research shows that Millennials aged 20-24 report having fewer sexual partners than their parents’ generation (born in the 60’s and 70’s) after the age of 18.  However, 81% of college students report hooking up while at school.  The gap between these statistics are reflected in Millennials’ strengths and challenges when it comes to committed longer term relationships. 

The generation who grew up with online access to porn, blatant sexuality expressed in their media, as well as social media are expressing doubt and anxiety in therapy as they attempt to establish bonded coupledom that is at times similar to their parents’ marriages and at others a courageous path to forge new relational paradigms. 

In this talk, Sari Cooper will discuss the trends she sees as a sex therapist working with single, dating, cohabitating, engaged and married Millennials who begin therapy with a sexual presenting problem.  

At the conclusion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• describe the statistics regarding trends and behaviors of Millennial clients
• list reasons this particular cohort of young adults approach sexuality differently than cohorts that are older
• develop hypotheses taking into account the systems influencing these clients
• identify potential blind spots they may have around Millennial clients’ sexual priorities

How these relational issues get expressed by clients with partners, how they may play out inside and outside the bedroom, and blind spots therapists may have to these conflicts will be addressed in this talk. 

Therapists’ potential discomforts, beliefs and triggers to these sexual and erotic issues will be addressed. Alternative theoretical frames to consider will also be presented.  Composite case examples will include heterosexual and LGBTQ clients in addition to clients from diverse ethnic and religious communities. 

Speaker Bio:

Sari Eckler Cooper LCSW is an AASECT-Certified Sex Therapist, Supervisor and a licensed therapist who has been in private practice for more than 20 years in New York City. She did her post-graduate work at The Ackerman Institute and the Human Sexuality Program at RWJ Medical Center.  She writes about sexuality on her website blog Sex Esteem® at www.saricooper.com, as well as on Psychology Today and is a regular contributor to CBS This Morning on the topic of relationships. She produces and hosts the Youtube channel and show Sex Esteem®. Sari also writes about divorce, sexuality and parenting on Huffington Post.

She frequently presents talks, seminars and workshops for professionals at conferences on many topics including: Sexual Avoidance, Compulsivity, Affairs, Discrepant Desire, ADHD and Sexuality in long-term relationships. She also presents to the general public on how to explore new sexual avenues in long-term relationships and how to talk to children about sex, as well as how a healthy sex life improves ones work life. She was a featured speaker in “Project Respect”, an educational program of the Sex Crimes Unit at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office on the topic of compulsivity.

You can sign up for her newsletter on her website home page.