Managing Expectations and Listening to the Body: Sensate Focus as an Embodied Relational Intervention in Couples Therapy

Sexual difficulties are common in couples therapy, with sexual functioning closely linked to relationship satisfaction. Clinical research and outcomes suggest sensate focus can be used alone or alongside medical and psychological interventions for couple relationship issues, with adaptations to suit couples’ needs. This manuscript aims to demonstrate the integration of sensate focus into couple therapy for facilitating a parallel process of change through embodied relational healing. It reviews the sensate focus technique developed by Masters and Johnson, examines current empirical research, and illustrates its application in couple therapy through a case study. Finally, implications for integration of sensate focus into evidence-based couple therapy modalities are discussed.