Season 2, Episode 33, Release Date: 5-27-2024

Self-led Sexuality with Patricia Rich

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Patricia Rich, a licensed clinical social worker, certified IFS therapist and consultant, and a certified sex therapist and supervisor. She is insightful and knowledgeable on how IFS and sex therapy could be merged together for therapy and healing. 

We spoke about the irony in our field where people come to find connection, vibrancy and aliveness. All of this can be found within our sexual energy, but often sexuality is exiled from the therapy office, and our field in general. If we welcome this sexual energy back into our lives, it can lead to more embodiment, and the vibrancy andd aliveness we are looking for. 

In IFS, we speak about Self-energy within us that has the 8 C's-- Compassion, Courage, Curiousirty, Connectedness, Creativity, Confidence, Calm, and Clarity. When we feel this Self-energy, we can also tune into a Sexual energy that may be experienced as qualities of Self. There is a beauty to Sexual energy, as well as wisdom.

Patricia also shared how she believes that all of our parts also have sexual energy that they can assess. When bringing IFS into sex therapy, we want to understand how our parts are interacting with these sexual forces, and listen to what they have to say. A lot of times we will listen to some of our parts when it comes to our sexual feelings, but not others. Patricia says she wants to help find a way for clients to welcome all parts into this conversation.

Just as we have Self-energy, Patricia also believes that we all have a beautiful sexual energy within us, "And this could never be broken or destroyed within us." As we open up to this self-led sexuality, we are able to open new doors of creativity, passion and excitement.

To help us tune into this sexuality within our parts, Patricia recommends taking a "beat: and checking in with out (B)ody and breath, (E)motions, (A)ctions, (T)houghts, and (S)elf wisdom. If we could take a pause (BEAT) and allow ourselves to be conscious and aware of these 6 parts of us, we can connect to some of our inner wisdom.

Patricia has also come up with The Six S's of Sexual Energy:

You can access a free graphic of the SIX S's here:

http://www.patriciarich.com/6sgraphic

She has workshops to help people better understand how to work with these 6 S's as well as to help people connect sexuality with IFS.

Find out more about Patricia's work, and some wonderful opportunities here:

https://www.patriciarich.com/