Therapy Where the Clothes Come Off (Sometimes)

Surrogate partner therapy typically begins with a referral from a talk therapist, who first evaluates whether someone is a good candidate for this kind of treatment. Sessions are typically held weekly, in one- to two-hour meetings until all three agree that the therapy is complete. Surrogate partner therapy was originally conceived in St. Louis in the 1960s by William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson, pioneers in the research and understanding of human sexuality. “Consequently, they measured success by the couple being able to engage in the heterosexual intercourse.”Surrogate partner therapy today tries to go beyond that approach by being L.G.B.T.Q.-affirming and more diverse. Many practitioners also object to being called sex surrogates, because they believe their form of therapy is about much more than sex.