Mindfulness and sex education for low sexual desire in women: When to suggest and how to deliver (3 CEs, 2023)

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the science of mindfulness-based therapy in the treatment of low desire for women
• Discuss the psychoeducational content essential for managing low sexual desire
• Explain the mechanisms by which mindfulness and psychoeducation improve low sexual desire in women
• Describe the contents 8-session mindfulness-based therapy for women with low desire and an 8-session supportive-expressive psychoeducational group therapy for low desire

 Agenda:

9 – 9:30

• Overview of what is mindfulness
• Definition
• Evolution
• Efficacy in common populations
• Why did we apply mindfulness to sexual difficulties?
• Outcomes from a randomized clinical trial evaluating the Mindful sex program in women with Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder
• Sharing the data on the underlying mechanisms by which mindfulness is effective for low desire

9:30 – 10:40

• Sessions 1- 4
• Who is a candidate for mindfulness-based sex therapy
• Introducing mindfulness in session 1
• The Body Scan
• Leading an Inquiry
• Mindful Movement
• How to introduce home practice

10:40 – 11:30

• Sessions 5-8
• Mindfulness of Thoughts
• Relevance of the cognitive behavioural model in mindful sex
• Mindfulness working with difficulties
• Sexual Sensations Awareness practice
• Portable mindfulness practice
• Problem solving home practice challenges

11:30 – 11:50

• Psychoeducational information to weave throughout sessions

11:50 – noon

• Q&A

Speaker Bio:

Lori A. Brotto, PhD, R Psych is the Executive Director of the Women’s Health Research Institute at BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre. Dr. Brotto is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, with a Joint Appointment in the Department of Psychiatry. She holds a Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health. Her program of research focuses on women’s sexual health, and includes randomized controlled trials of psychological interventions (such as mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy) to address low desire in women and chronic genital pain (vulvodynia). She has a strong interest in quality of life among survivors, and has been involved in a number of studies to address sexual health among cancer survivors. To that end, she is a member of the Gynecologic Cancer Collaborative Cluster, lead by Dr. Gavin Stuart. Her CFI-funded research lab is located at Vancouver Hospital and is equipped with sexual psychophysiological measures, an eye tracker, and infrastructure to support salivary hormone collections. She also collaborates on studies exploring asexuality, culture and sexuality, and most recently, digital technologies to deliver women’s sexual health programs.