We offer a type of therapy known as "Surrogate Partner Therapy" (SPT).
Surrogate Partner Therapy is a type of touch therapy.
Touch therapy can break through barriers that talk therapy alone may not be able to cross. Being touched is a human need, just like air, food, and water. Find out how therapeutic touch can help you.
Sierra Sky Healing Arts Surrogate Partner Therapy programs are based on the successful methods of Masters and Johnson combined with modern somatic therapy modalities.
Rachael was trained and certified in SPT by Ananda Integrative Healing Group.
AIHG revolutionized SPT for this millennium; integrating other modalities of somatic therapy into the accepted model of SPT that was developed by Masters and Johnson.
We have been practicing SPT, coaching and therapy since 2018 in Reno, NV.
Each program is customized to the clients needs. All clients start with an intake with Andy. All SPT programs involve sensate focus based touch therapy and talk therapy. Other modalities available are body work and coaching.
Text today to schedule a discovery call to determine if our practice is the right fit for you.
Frequently Asked Questions about SPT.
Surrogate Partner Therapy is still relatively new. People often have questions about this modality of therapy. Here are some common FAQs about SPT.
What exactly is Surrogate Partner Therapy?
Surrogate Partner Therapy is a kind of touch therapy that addresses a client’s sexual challenges and/or past sexual traumas. The client practices touch exercises with a surrogate partner and processes their emotional responses with a psychotherapist. This type of therapy is based on the foundation of human sexuality research done by Dr. Virginia Johnson and Dr. William Masters.
Why involve a psychologist?
Traditionally speaking Surrogate Partner Therapy involves a mental health professional due to the strong emotions involved with sexuality and intimate touch. Our emotional responses can surprise us; even when we think we have a handle on them. Being touched in an intimate way may bring about traumatic memories, strong emotions or unanticipated reactions. This is why SPT clients are in contact with a clinician and the clinician is in contact with the surrogate partner.
Can a clients start right in with practicing having sex?
The short answer is no. There are many reasons why not. Sex is mostly mental; it involves mindfulness, empathy, and communication. Skipping to intercourse right away is like building a house on a swamp. There is no solid foundation. There is a reason why clients seek SPT. Those reasons need to be thoroughly understood and addressed before clients can move to advanced practical techniques.
What kinds of issues can SPT help resolve?
SPT helps alleviate sexual dysfunctions like ED and PE. Clients who are disabled or have ailments which make having an intimate relationship challenging seek SPT. SPT helps those with a history of sexual trauma and abuse. People who remain virgins later into adulthood pursue help from Surrogate Partners. Clients who are uneasy about their intimate experience level can learn techniques and skills.
What’s the difference between SPT and sex work?
Surrogate partners focus on the whole person. Emotions, body image,challenges, goals past, present, and future. SPT is holistic, practical experience with the goal of enriching the clients’ intimate relationships. SPT utilizes mental health professionals to ensure that proper boundaries and ethical standards are in place. On the other hand sex workers may use ethically questionable methods to provide an experience that produces instant gratification; with no plan for helping the whole person with future relationships.
If you have any questions about how Surrogate Partner Therapy can enrich your life please text me at 775-413-0504.
History of SPT
Masters and Johnson, Human Sexuality Pioneers
The Masters and Johnson research team, composed of William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson, pioneered research into the nature of human sexual response and the diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders and dysfunctions from 1957 until the 1990s.
Masters and Johnson introduced the practice of sexual surrogacy in their book "Human Sexual Inadequacy", published in 1970. They believed that people could learn about sexual intimacy only by experiencing it. The practice of Surrogate Partner Therapy reached its peak in the early 1980s with a few hundred surrogate partners practicing in the U.S. Since then, Surrogate Partner Therapy's popularity declined but has recently reentered social consciousness after the 2012 film The Sessions, which depicts one surrogate partner's work with a disabled man. Currently, those practicing Surrogate Partner Therapy are still very few in number.
"The practitioner participates with the client in structured and unstructured experiences that are
designed to build client self-awareness and skills in the areas of physical and emotional intimacy. These therapeutic experiences include partner work in relaxation, effective communication, sensual and sexual touching, and social skills training. Each program is designed to increase the client’s knowledge, skills, and comfort. As the days pass, clients find themselves becoming more relaxed, more open to feelings, and more comfortable with physical and emotional intimacy". ~International Surrogate Partner Association
The WIHL’s Surrogate Partner Therapy
is based on the successful methods of Masters and Johnson, combined with modern somatic therapy modalities .
Throughout our lives we receive messages about who we should be, how we should feel, and the acceptable ways to express ourselves. These messages are often enforced with negativity. It’s no wonder we end up having unsatisfying, draining, and empty intimate experiences.
Intimacy Coaching programs gives clients the tools to deepen intimacy in their relationships. Some skills we teach are:
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How to express oneself in a relationship
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How to hold space for another person
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How to recognize emotional patterns and their ability to manipulate
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How to explore relationships with trust and boundaries
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How to turn relationship challenges into opportunities to deepen intimacy
Sex coaching programs are the pathway to the sexual well-being and pleasure you deserve.
We help clients achieve their ideal sexual reality. We approach sexuality as a vehicle for self-growth. Clients access the tools needed to overcome anxieties, insecurities, and shame. We practice self-love and acceptance and avoid comparison traps. We help clients become more connected with their feelings surrounding sex.
Sex Coaching may include:
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Learning new skills for maximizing pleasure
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Discovery of desires and fantasies, and how to talk about them
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Learning how to seduce with romance, passion, and confidence
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Support for those with sexual dysfunctions
It requires courage to venture into the journey of self-discovery and sexual exploration, but we don’t have to do it alone.
We all have the right to experience a fully satisfying and passionate sex life!
~What clients have said: Excerpts from testimonials~
"My experience with Rachael truly changed my life. I felt completely safe with Rachael. She was extremely giving and really cared about me and my issues. Rachael has my highest possible endorsement. She genuinely wants to help her clients."
"My wife and I spent thousands of dollars on five different marriage counselors, and even saw a licensed sex therapist. None of that really helped. A service like Rachael now provides might have saved our marriage, and saved us both a lot of emotional pain ."
"I was so damaged, that I was unable to get any sort of pleasure myself from having sex. I was not confident in my ability to approach a woman, even just to talk. I didn’t know that I craved intimate contact more than anything, just snuggling, just holding someone was even more important than having sex..."