Hospital service to allow people explore ‘intimate difficulties’

Interventions aimed at addressing the excessive use of pornography, insatiable sexual behaviours, and extreme sexual urges are part of a new psychological service offered by a leading mental health service.

Saint John of God Hospital said they were providing a safe place for people to explore “intimate difficulties” with professional therapists, who are experts in relationships and sexual matters.

The hospital, based in Stillorgan, south Dublin, launched the service this week. The issues covered include:

- Difficulty with sexual performance;

- Sexual behaviours which seem hard to control;

- Excessive use of pornography;

- Problematic use of the internet for sexual purposes;

- Paraphillic behaviours.

Paraphillic behaviours are where a person is aroused by fantasising about and engaging in uncommon or extreme sexual behaviours. It can revolve around a group of people, an object, animals or a particular act (inflicting pain, exposing oneself).

“Sexuality is influenced by a range of aspects of ourselves and how we experience the world,” said Fergal Rooney, senior counselling psychologist at the hospital and head of the new service.

“However, we tend to avoid discussing sexuality — we expect this core part of being human to be healthy without thinking much about it or working out how we integrate it fully into our lives.”

He added: “All too often we are surrounded by a mixture of confusing and conflicting messages and images of sexuality. This makes it difficult to know what is helpful for us in how we approach and manage our own relationships and sexuality.”

- Contact 01 2771662 or visit www.sjog.ie