Functional Sex Therapy is based on the model of sexual functionality developed by Dr François de Carufel. This model offers a clear understanding of the biological, personal, relational and social components involved in adequate sexual functioning. It offers therapists guidelines to evaluate the sexual functioning of his patients. It also allows therapists to develop efficient tools to treat various male and female sexual dysfunctions.
The main objective of Functional Sex Therapy is to respond to patient concerns. It provides concrete means to help people better their sexual life at personal, relational, and social levels. It puts the emphasis on the sexual potential development of the person, sexual harmony of the couple, and sexual responsibility of people.
Disorders treated by Functional Sex Therapy include the full spectrum of sexual dysfunctions, including sexual desire disorders, premature ejaculation, coital anorgasmia, erectile dysfunction, vaginismus, dyspareunia, and delayed ejaculation.
Within Functional Sex Therapy, comprehensive, structured, and very detailed treatments have been created. The therapist will be able in many cases to apply these treatments to patients as per the basic prescribed approach. The therapist will also have the flexibility to adapt them whenever the need arises. Moreover, the therapist could at that point modify them, add additional psychological or relational interventions, or integrate Functional Sex Therapy into a more comprehensive therapeutic approach.
Functional Sex Therapy has many influences. It includes fundamentals from anatomy, physiology, and neurophysiology, Psychoanalysis, Character Analysis, Bioenergetics, Gestalt, Mindfulness, sex therapy, corporeal therapies, cognitive-behavioural therapy, behavioural physical activity approaches, and Asian traditions.
Its originality and its effectiveness rest on the fact that it addresses the physiological, emotional, cognitive, corporeal and behavioural dimensions of human sexual functioning. Instead of focusing on organic or psychological factors like other therapies, Functional Sex Therapy differentiates itself by paying attention to the sexological factors that determine the way people feel, think, react and behave sexually. In a sense, it “sexologizes” sexology. It is the object of constant innovations and positions itself at the forefront of modern sexology.