Surrogate Partner Therapy (SPT) refers to a specific type of therapy in which an individual seeks the help of both a clinician and a surrogate partner in order to overcome obstacles preventing them from making and keeping healthy intimate relationships.

A surrogate partner is just that— a surrogate or stand-in partner. When talk therapy alone hasn’t brought relief in issues of relationships and intimacy, SPT can be a great option. Knowing how to do something in the mind and truly experiencing it are two very different things. SPT harnesses the power of experiential learning alongside traditional therapy to maximize the opportunity for growth and change. By utilizing a surrogate partner, a safe space can be created for practicing healthy relationships and all that they entail. We strive to teach and practice the skills for relationships, as well as to create integral experiences of safety and acceptance.

SPT is modeled after the successful methods for the treatment of sexual dysfunction developed by Masters and Johnson during their groundbreaking research. In this research, Masters and Johnson found that hands-on therapeutic exercises carried out by the partners of individuals with sexual dysfunction greatly increased rate of success. While this method was extremely beneficial to the treatment process, it became apparent that partners, even when available, may not be able to carry out this highly nuanced work. Organizations were then created to train professionals in these exercises and the profession has grown into the more relational work that we see today.

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