Sensate Focus: General Introduction (Clinical Handout)

By the Walther Institute for Marital Intimacy

This handout is being made available for clinicians, coaches, and educators who want a clear, structured introduction to Sensate Focus to use with their clients.

Sensate Focus is a widely used intervention in sexual therapy for reducing anxiety, performance pressure, and over-monitoring during physical intimacy. This handout presents the core framework in concise, accessible language that clients can easily understand and apply.

Designed for clinical use, this resource can be assigned as pre-session reading, used to support psychoeducation, or provided alongside stage-based Sensate Focus exercises.

Inside, clients will learn:

• What Sensate Focus is and what it is not

• Why effort and control interfere with sexual response

• The central paradox underlying arousal and pleasure

• How to shift attention toward physical sensation

• The universal guidelines that govern all stages

This is a no-fluff, ready-to-use tool you can immediately integrate into your work.

This handout is priced at $0.99 to make it easily accessible for practitioners who want high-quality, clinically grounded materials without unnecessary cost barriers.

Note: This content is also included in the WIMI Private Journal for members who prefer full library access.