Counseling for vaginismus

[Anonymous]

Has anyone else sought out counseling for vaginismus?
I’ve tried a few counselors but most feel like they don’t know how to help me. The only actual sex therapists in my area aren’t accepting any new patients.
Is it worth continuing to pursue? Has anyone had any good experiences with this?

[Leslie Turner, WHNP, CNM]

hi Elisha,
Are you also working with a pelvic floor physical therapist? If not, I highly recommend getting a referral from your health care provider for one. If you are, I recommend asking your pelvic floor PT if they have any recommendations for a counselor familiar with vaginismus. Or you could ask the sex therapists in your area if they have a referral. Often the professionals in the field will be able to steer you in the right direction even if they are unable to work with you directly. And yes, it is definitely worth it to pursue. Vaginismus is treatable, and it’s so important to get the right support along the way.

[recessivegenequeen]

Hi elishawright! I wasn’t going to a counselor when I did the botox treatment through Maze, but the clinic itself gave me some talk therapy throughout the process. Vaginismus is a very emotional condition to have and processing the FEELINGS of living with it (especially since most women who get treatment have been suffering for years before seeking help) is just as important as tackling the physical difficulties of the condition. I’m in therapy now and vaginismus still comes up sometimes, even years after seeking treatment. I highly recommend counseling of some kind or another in addition to someone to help with dilating like a pelvic floor therapist as Melissa recommended.

[Sandhya]

Thank you so much. Honestly I feel so great after joining the Forum I read all those stories so many Women’s are going through this condition and many of them got cured from maze Women’s Health support and treatments this is live Saving. I don’t know why but I believe this is the opinion for my condition I got so much hope from this treatment. I just completed the forms that was send from maze. I hope you got those I just can’t wait to get it done as soon as possible I have a short vacation on April I’m thinking to get it done that time. I hope I’ll get the closest appointment. I’m waiting for the email from maze for feather process.
Thank you. 🙏🏻 hope to see you soon

[recessivegenequeen]

Sandhya, congratulations on going forward with treatment! This is a huge step and I think you’ll be really happy you decided to investigate treatment options. Good luck and please let us know how it goes!

[Sandhya]

Thank you 🙏🏻. actually I just can’t wait to get it done as soon as possible. I have so much hope form this treatment.otherside I’m kinda scared too. I have tried so many other treatments before and nothing really worked. After reading so many stories on this forum I got more encouragement And I finally decided to take a step. After a long wait.I got phone counseling appointment on Tuesday I really hope I’ll get the closest appointment for the treatment as well. I’ll keep you updated. thank you

[recessivegenequeen]

I’m so glad you’re feeling encouraged! I know how scary it can feel to trust again that there’s a solution out there after you’ve been disappointed before, but speaking as someone who’s been to Maze, it’s a totally different experience that will leave you feeling supported the entire way through. I hope you get the soonest appointment you can, and I can’t wait to hear more about how it goes!

[Sks823]

Sandhya,

Hope the phone consultation went well!

Just wanted to chime in and say it’s a great idea to do therapy alongside physical therapy. I met my therapist when going to Maze in 2016 (as recessivegenequeen mentioned, the clinic gives talk therapy and I got along well with her, shout out to Nicole!) and started seeing her outside of Maze and after I finished my dilation therapy at Maze (I actually saw her until I relocated from NYC 5 months ago!). Obviously she was very familiar with sexual dysfunction due to her experience at Maze.

Maze and hopefully other similar clinics should have recommendations so I definitely suggest getting more recommendations of therapists that are familiar with vaginismus – if someone says they are not accepting new patients, ask THEM for recommendations!

Good luck, I do believe it’s a great idea to see a thoughtful, understanding therapist during your journey of overcoming vaginismus.

Hope all is well!

[Helen Leff, LCSW]

Hi!
I want to revisit this thread for a couple of reasons. One is that we at Maze recognize the importance of working in an integrated model that is both medical and behavioral. Vaginismus is a physiological condition involving involuntary muscle spasms inside the vagina which often leads to a vicious cycle of fear and pain, shame, blame, and a host of negative feelings. This is why it’s most helpful to treat both the physiological and emotional issues that arise.
However, Dilation is key to treating vaginismus and all the talking in the world will not cure it alone. The good news is that Vaginismus can be overcome and being supported both medically and emotionally is a winning combination.

[Sks823]

Helen,

I definitely agree with everything in your post.

After overcoming vaginismus, I realized the key part of treatment for me was getting the (smallest!) dilator in by myself the first few times. After this, I knew that I WAS able to fit dilators inside myself, my vagina CAN be normal (as silly as that sounds – but I had been unable to use tampons before this).

I was able to get to this point with a lot of encouragement from the Maze staff, a lot of reassurance that what I was going through was normal, reassurance that I would be able to overcome it, and being open and comfortable with the Maze staff. Of course, the Maze practitioner also was the one who showed me how to insert it in the office by inserting it for me, but doing it on my own was a big turning point for me.