A Review of Mindfulness-Based Sex Therapy Interventions for Sexual Desire and Arousal Difficulties: From Research to Practice

Published articles and case studies on mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to treat sexual desire and arousal dysfunctions were reviewed. Only publications utilizing clinical samples (which are the majority of the literature) were included, resulting in 12 empirical papers and 5 case studies. There is preliminary empirical evidence for the effectiveness of MBIs in enhancing sexual desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, ejaculatory latency, perceived sexual arousal, sexual satisfaction, and decreasing sexual distress. However, most of the research has been conducted on women in groups. There are many populations that remain underrepresented in the literature (e.g., men, people of diverse race/ethnicity/sexual orientation/gender identity, the aging). Online interventions and body-based approaches show some promise, but more empirical research is needed. Research on mindfulness-based couples groups are in progress.