What is Sexocorporel?

Sexuality is a dimension of the human being that raises many questions and fascinates again and again through its diversity. The desire to understand the various components of sexuality, curiosity and interest in the subject of human sexuality led to the emergence of a special scientific discipline: sexology (sexology).

It was in this context of researching and conceptualizing human sexuality that Sexocorporel was born. The ideas of sexocorporel, as a therapeutic-sexological approach, were developed and taught by Jean-Yves Desjardins (1931-2011). His sex-therapeutic approach is based on the model of sexual health as formulated by the WHO and researched for over 40 years.

Sexocorporel offers a comprehensive and precise description of sexual phenomena, which enables a precise diagnosis and treatment.

The treatment aims to quickly and effectively meet the needs of women, men and couples who want to achieve more satisfaction in their sexuality and in their relationship life – physically and emotionally.

The theoretical foundations

Fundamental unit:

We call the inseparable connection body-brain-brain-body a basic unit. Every perception, emotion and cognition (implicit body) has its mirror on the neurophysiological level (explicit body) and vice versa. We call this the body mirror. The great philosopher Thomas Aquinas put it well in the late 15th century: “Nihil intellectu nisi prius in sensu” which means “Nothing in consciousness that does not first pass through the senses”.

Model of sexual health:

The Sexocorporel is a model of sexual functionality that takes into account all the components involved in human sexuality. We define sexual health or functionality as the birth, development, integration and harmonization of the various components that interact in human sexuality. The different components of human sexuality are listed below:

1. Basic components: Sexual identity based on anatomy (male, female).
2. Physiological components: Sexual arousal, sexual arousal modes, sexual arousal sources, evaluation of different sexual arousal curves.
3. Sexodynamic components: Feeling of gender (male, female), sexual desire, sexual desire, erotic fantasies, sexual attraction codes, sexual self-confidence.
4. Cognitive components: Knowledge, ideologies, belief systems, attitudes, codifications, value judgments and idealizations.
5. Relationship components: Erotic and love communication, love feeling, seduction and erotic skills.

Sexocorporel is recognized by many as a comprehensive and scientific model for sexual health because of the correctness and accuracy of sexuality knowledge and the effectiveness of the treatment approach. This model is innovative and aims to enable men and women to engage in satisfying erotic activity, both on a personal and relational level.

Specific contributions of Sexocorporel to clinical sexology:

An innovative model

• Precise definitions of sexological terms that eliminate multiple confusions in the sexological vocabulary.
• Establishing a comprehensive evaluation scheme that covers every single component of human sexuality.
• Proposing an empirically based model of sexual development in children.
• Observing and categorizing the different modes of sexual arousal based on clinical cases:
  • Archaic excitation mode
  • Mechanical excitation mode
  • Archaic-mechanical excitation mode
  • Vibration-induced excitation mode
  • Ondulating excitation mode
  • Wave-shaped excitation mode
• Development of simple and effective treatments based on explicit reality, which is why it is a comprehensive and scientific sexological approach.
• Study of the qualitative aspects (emotional perceptions) of sexual response in relation to the sexual arousal curve.
• Concrete means of influencing and modulating the sexual arousal curve through the laws of the body. These means concern the influencing of:
  • Movement rhythms (from slow to fast)
  • Muscle tension (from hypotonic to hypertonic)
  • Space, inside to breathe and outside by movements (from wide to restricted).

Treatment according to Sexocorporel

The Sexocorporel approach offers practical and effective means to improve sexual action and experience.

The treatment considers different levels: feelings, thoughts, physical conditions and abilities as well as relationship skills. A treatment lasts between weeks and months.

The most important steps of a therapeutic process:

• Evaluation and assessment of sexual difficulties.
• Explanation of the results of the diagnosis, so that those seeking help understand the current process of the problem.
• Explanation of the aims of the treatment, to motivate active participation.
• Development and integration of erotic and sexual skills.
• Final evaluation and end of therapy.

Sexual Therapy

The scope of clinical practice of sex therapists is wide and varied. Below is an overview of the sexual disorders and relationship problems for which an individual or a couple decide to undergo sexual therapy.

Sexual disorders

Relationship problems

• Erotic problems
• Confusion between feelings of love and sexual desire
• Sexual problems (see above)
• Communication difficulties
• Problems of seduction between partners