Vaginismus & Pelvic Pain Treatment
Virtual therapy in Ohio for female genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder
Do you dread intimacy because penetration feels painful or impossible?
Did you grow up believing that sex was something to “save for marriage,” only to discover on your honeymoon that your body felt closed off, tense, and unresponsive? Have you tried inserting tampons or undergoing medical exams without success?
You’re not alone. Many women find themselves shocked, discouraged, and heartbroken when what they hoped would be the start of a vibrant sex life turns into nights of tears and frustration. Vaginismus, (also known as Female Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder, or GPPPD) is a condition where vaginal muscles involuntarily tighten, making penetration difficult or impossible. Beyond the physical challenges, you may feel afraid to date, believe that you’ve failed as a wife, worry about your partner’s experience of sex or how you could possibly have kids, and carry the weight of shame and isolation. Vaginismus feels like a dream-crusher.
If you’ve never heard of vaginismus until now, you might assume you’re the only one experiencing it. But vaginismus is actually common, especially among women who’ve experienced trauma, and women raised in conservative or religious homes where messages about sex were often tied to shame, fear, or “purity.” Research shows vaginismus occurs more frequently among Christian women who were taught to fear sexual desire or intercourse. Knowing this can help ease the heavy burden of shame.
Vaginismus is treatable with a multi-disciplinary approach
Odds are, you’ve begun a frantic search to treat your vaginismus. You might’ve asked your OBGYN about your pain and been told to “just have a glass of wine to relax” (terrible advice). Friends or family might suggest “just suck it up” or say “that’s just what sex feels like for women” (also terrible advice, and not true). You might already be working with a pelvic floor physical therapist (if so, awesome!)
GPPPD is very much a mind-body condition, that needs a coordinated mind-body treatment approach. Clients usually need to see (at minimum) a pelvic floor physical therapist and a sex therapist. Sometimes medications may also be needed. Vaginismus is not “all in your head.” It’s a very real condition in which emotions, trauma, and early messages about sex often play a major role in how your body responds. With the right therapeutic support, you can move from fear and frustration toward confidence, comfort, and intimacy. You’re not broken, you’re not depriving your partner, and you’re certainly not alone.
Overcoming vaginismus with EMDR and sex therapy
EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and sex therapy together create a powerful path forward for women and couples experiencing vaginismus. Therapy for vaginismus may involve a combination of both individual and couples work. If you’re not already working with a local pelvic floor physical therapist, I will help you get connected to one you feel comfortable with.
We’ll explore your personal story: how your upbringing, beliefs, and experiences shaped the way your body responds to intimacy. EMDR therapy for vaginismus helps process and release painful memories, shame, or limiting beliefs (such as “sex is dirty” or “my body is broken”), so that your nervous system no longer automatically responds with fear or tension. You might not identify as someone with a lot of trauma - that’s okay! Many people don’t know that EMDR isn’t just for trauma, it’s also good for improving physical pain symptoms (because how we think about our pain directly impacts how we physically experience it) and reducing performance anxiety - often two of the key mental and emotional components we have to reframe with therapy for GPPPD.
Sex therapy complements EMDR for vaginismus by offering education, practical tools, and a safe space to explore intimacy and reconnect with your body at your own pace. Sex therapy treatment for vaginismus involves individual and partnered exercises, gentle strategies for mindfulness, increasing your sexual literacy, and building communication skills.
Where EMDR therapy addresses the root causes underlying your physical pain - the shame, fear, or traumatic associations around sex - sex therapy gives you the tools and practical steps to build comfort and trust in your body and share it with a partner, if you’d like. Together, these approaches offer both emotional healing, relationship support, and physical progress to advance the work you’re doing in pelvic floor PT.
From frustration to freedom
Right now, vaginismus might feel like a literal wall between you and the sex life you imagined - one where intimacy feels fun, natural, and effortless. But there is hope. With years of expertise in both EMDR therapy and sex therapy, I help women just like you reclaim their confidence, heal their relationship with their body, and move toward the life they want.
Treatment for vaginismus isn’t about rushing you into intercourse. It’s about creating safety and trust within yourself and your relationship, and shifting the focus from goal-oriented, narrowly-defined, obligation sex to pleasure-focused, mutually fulfilling sex. Sessions are collaborative, compassionate, and paced according to your comfort. Healing vaginismus is possible, and sex therapy + EMDR can help you get there. I collaborate regularly with your pelvic floor PT to make sure we’re being a team for you and supporting you in the best way possible.
Virtual treatment for vaginismus in Ohio
As one of the only therapists in Ohio with specialized training in both EMDR and sex therapy, I’ve had the privilege of working with many women seeking to heal from vaginismus. I have advanced training specifically in treating female genitopelvic pain disorders from industry leaders through International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH), and specialize in supporting women who feel trapped by shame, fear, or physical pain when it comes to intimacy. I’ve spent years helping Christian women navigate the intersection of faith, sexuality, and trauma. I understand the deeply personal, cultural, and spiritual layers of vaginismus, and I provide a compassionate space where healing is possible. My clients go on to have vibrant, fulfilling sex lives, pregnancies (if they want!), and less shame about their sexuality. I’d love to help you experience the same.
“Do I need individual or couples therapy to treat vaginismus?”
Honestly, a little of both. Often, engaging in solo treatment for vaginismus can unintentionally reinforce the false ideas that vaginismus is a “you problem” and that it’s “your job to fix it.” But if you’re partnered - your sex life is yours together. So treatment at some point should be together, because both partners are affected, in different ways. We’ll discuss your symptoms and history and see whether it makes sense to start with individual or couples therapy. Usually some combination of both individual and couples therapy is needed to have treatment be the most effective.
“Why do I need therapy for vaginismus?”
Vaginismus does not go away on its own with time. Vaginismus is a real physical and emotional condition that needs specialized treatment from a team of professionals in order to see progress. It’s impossible to separate the mind from the body. Because vaginismus is a physical manifestation of underlying emotional concerns involving sex, working with both a pelvic floor PT and a sex therapist You need at minimum a pelvic floor physical therapist and trained sex therapist. The good news is that vaginismus IS highly treatable!
“Can I see any therapist for vaginismus treatment?”
Technically - sure. However, most general therapists don’t have specialized training necessary to effectively treat GPPPD. Sex therapists typically have more awareness of GPPPD and experience treating the emotional impacts of pelvic pain disorders, but may be limited with basic cognitive therapeutic techniques if they’re not also trained in EMDR, which is rare. Sex therapy without EMDR can feel like you’re on the cusp of something but something deeper is needed. That’s where EMDR comes in, however, most EMDR therapists don’t have any training in sex therapy. At Sea Glass, you have a rare opportunity to work with an experienced EMDR and sex therapist!
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