Sex

All About Sex

At least for humans, this most basic of acts is anything but basic. As the pioneering sex researcher Alfred Kinsey put it, the only universal in human sexuality is variability itself. Within the universe of intimacy and pleasure that sex affords, however, there's a lot of room for error. From the behavior itself to our sexual identifications and associations, sex never fails to be a provacative topic. Most people are affected by sexual problems at some point in their lives and safety of the body and mind is always a concern. Though the global jury may remain hung over sex's moral and political implications, we can all come to at least one consensus: It's why we're alive today and it's the first thing future generations depend on.

Want More And Better Sex? Get Married And Stay Married.

By Linda and Charlie Bloom on September 26, 2015 Stronger at the Broken Places

The belief that singles have more and better sex than marrieds has become a cultural myth that researchers and sociologists are finding to be untrue, and coming up with some hard evidence to substantiate this claim.

What Dating Looks Like for a Recovering Sex Addict

By Alexandra Katehakis MFT, CST-S, CSAT-S on September 24, 2015 Sex, Lies & Trauma

Compulsive sex is the fast food of relationships, and developing a taste for the slow-cooked meal may take some time.

Sex and Parenting

By Isadora Alman MFT on September 24, 2015 Sex & Sociability

The comfort of good loving often falls to the bottom of the To Do list, just when it is most needed.

Art Therapy With Sex Offenders: Exposing the Fragile Self

By David Gussak Ph.D., ATR-BC on September 24, 2015 Art on Trial

Guest blogger Cindy Chen focuses on the challenges of using art therapy with sex offenders to identify treatment barriers, build alliances and establish resiliency, and even to work with her own counter-transferential issues.

The Sex Offender Next Door: Why Reintegration Helps

By Robert T Muller Ph.D. on September 24, 2015 Talking About Trauma

Ex-offenders are less likely to re-offend if there are people who will support their recovery.

Hypersexual Disorder Debates

By Mark D. Griffiths Ph.D. on September 24, 2015 In Excess

Sex addiction appears to be a highly controversial area. Given that "gambling disorder" was reclassified from a disorder of impulse control to a behavioral addiction in the DSM-V, there is now no theoretical reason why other behavioral addictions can’t be added in years to come. So why wasn’t sex addiction included in the latest DSM-V?

3 Ways To Sexually Reconnect With Your Partner

By Clifford N Lazarus Ph.D. on September 23, 2015 Think Well

Want to reconnect with your partner sexually? No matter how long it's been, here are three powerful was to resuscitate your sex life.

Macho Macho Men

By James M Sherlock on September 22, 2015 Great (Ape) Expectations

Women's preferences for masculine or feminine faces vary considerably. A new study puts evolutionary explanations of these preferences to the test.

What Does It Mean When We Stick Our Tongues Out?

By Leon F Seltzer Ph.D. on September 22, 2015 Evolution of the Self

Questions relating to sticking out one's tongue can be surprisingly complicated. For its meaning in babies and children may be quite different from adults doing the same thing. And there are so many nuances to it: Is the tongue sticking straight out? to the left? right? hanging down? curled? And what’s the accompanying facial expression and context in which it occurs? ...

What Do Hypoactive Sexual Desire and PTSD Have in Common?

By Jeffrey Lieberman M.D. on September 22, 2015 Shrink Speak

Science and social pressures influence how and when drugs are developed by the pharmaceutical industry.

An Anti-Drinking Drug May Hold the Cure to Sex Addiction

By Ralph Ryback M.D. on September 21, 2015 The Truisms of Wellness

What about naltrexone makes it so effective at treating both alcohol and sex addiction? Study after study continues to suggest that behind every addiction, behavioral or otherwise, lies a malfunctioning reward center. It makes intuitive sense, then, that a medication that treats one kind of addiction may be able to treat another.

That's So Gay!

By Oscar Holmes IV Ph.D. on September 20, 2015 Beyond the Cubicle

Similar to the popular TV show Mythbusters, Matthew and I surveyed a large sample of people and asked them what common sayings, beliefs, and/or questions they had about LGBTQ people that they wanted to know whether or not were true. Are you LGBTQIA culturally competent? How many questions did you get right?

Will a Pink Pill Make Me Horny?

By Contemporary Psychoanalysis Group on September 19, 2015 Contemporary Psychoanalysis in Action

Will a Pink Pill Make Me Horny? It depends on what kind of sexual problem you are having. By Susan Kolod, Ph.D.

The Myth of Wanting It All

By Feminist Evolutionary Perspectives Society on September 18, 2015 Feminist Evolutionary Perspectives Society

There is a pervasive mantra that has gone around in the professional world for decades. Women “want it all” – career, family, a work-life balance – but with a few minutes reflection, it is often clear that “it all” is an unattainable goal no matter who you are and how you measure “all.” Yet, the professional world for women doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Having a Crush on Insects

By Jeffrey Lockwood Ph.D. on September 18, 2015 The Infested Mind

You’ve probably heard about people who have a sexual fetish for shoes, leather, or red hair. But what if a person is aroused by the crushing of a living being? Might there be an argument that the pleasure derived in this way is has fewer moral problems than the sensual satisfaction of eating meat?

The Perils of Left and Right Swiping

By Sean M. Horan Ph.D. on September 18, 2015 Adventures in Dating

Online dating is a common activity for many single (and married) Americans. Still, just how old is that photo in the profile you're eyeing? Is it accurate? Research summarized here answers those questions.

When Homosexuality Stopped Being a Mental Disorder

By Neel Burton M.D. on September 18, 2015 Hide and Seek

Not until 1987 did homosexuality completely fall out of the DSM.

How Big Is the Average Penis?

By Temma Ehrenfeld on September 18, 2015 Open Gently

Men tend to overestimate their size.

Why Some Welcome Unisex Bathrooms, and Some Steer Clear

By Elizabeth Aura McClintock Ph.D. on September 17, 2015 It’s a Man’s, and a Woman’s, World

Why are women more comfortable than men when sharing multi-user unisex bathrooms? Although still influenced by Victorian-era paternalism toward women, the gendered dynamics behind men's discomfort primarily reflect their fears and insecurities in all-male public restrooms. Does man's de facto exclusion undermine the inclusive intention of multi-user unisex bathrooms?

The Truth About Female Orgasms

By Ryan Anderson on September 17, 2015 The Mating Game

There are a lot of myths and mysteries surrounding the female orgasm, especially among men. This article looks at some of the science behind the female orgasm.

Five Disadvantages of Polyamory

By Elisabeth A. Sheff Ph.D. on September 16, 2015 The Polyamorists Next Door

This blog examines some of the disadvantages to polyamory, including 1. Complexity, 2. Partner Turnover, 3. Faulty Negotiation, 4. Legal Problems, and 5. Too Much Supervision

Is Online Infidelity Really Infidelity?

By Martin Graff Ph.D. on September 16, 2015 Love, Digitally

Online liaisons are not necessarily considered to be unfaithful behaviour. Sexual infidelity online is no threat to a male’s certainty of paternity

Sexual Infidelity: 7 Things Betrayed Spouses Need to Know

By Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT-S on September 15, 2015 Love and Sex in the Digital Age

Thanks to the recent Ashley Madison hack and data dump, countless unsuspecting spouses are learning they’ve been cheated upon by their significant other.

Pubic Shaving: Which Women? And Why?

By Michael Castleman M.A. on September 15, 2015 All About Sex

In pubic shaving the new normal?

Are Transgender Women Just Reinforcing Sexist Stereotypes?

By Deborah L. Davis Ph.D. on September 15, 2015 Laugh, Cry, Live

How is gender identity formed? Are masculinity and femininity just oppressive stereotypes? Would transgender women, like Caitlin Jenner, exist if men were free to wear dresses? Modern brain research reveals how sex differences, hormones, and experiences influence gender identity and expression.

Your Belief in Porn Addiction Makes Things Worse

By David J Ley Ph.D. on September 15, 2015 Women Who Stray

New research shows that the belief that one is a porn addict causes psychological suffering over time. This is an important wake-up call to the many people who tout the idea that porn is addictive. Their promotion of this concept is akin to those who have exploited people by selling dangerous quack remedies which ultimately caused harm.