Tending to painful sex: applying the neuroscience of trauma and anxiety using mindfulness and somatic embodiment in working with genito-pelvic pain and penetration disorders

Knowledge about the intersections of trauma, emotional wellbeing and sexual health respectively, have increased significantly in recent years. Additionally, knowledge about the relationship between the brain, trauma and the body have gained traction and popularity through interventions like mindfulness. Sexual health professionals working with pleasure and vitality benefit from understanding brain and nervous system function through both trauma-informed and pleasure-informed lenses order to offer the most effective approaches to working with clients experiencing sexual distress. While the etiology of 'genito-pelvic pain and penetration disorder' (GPP/PD) is inconclusive, applying knowledge from trauma-informed practices and mindfulness techniques may offer clients relief where traditional top down, physical therapy or medical interventions fall short. Mindfulness and somatic embodiment practices offer non-threatening techniques for clients to access explore their GPP/PD, desires and pleasures, potentially creating new pathways for experience within the body and brain. Embodiment activities that include body movement, breath work, self-massage and attention to erotic thoughts, feelings and arousal can be particularly helpful by providing a healing context for clients with 'unexplained' GPP/PD and/or immobilisation in response to sexual arousal. This article offers a model for treatment of GPP/PD through the application of neurologically-informed mindfulness and trauma-informed somatic embodiment.