Episode 401: A New Way of Treating Arousal and Libido Problems

May 30, 2025

Dr. Lori Brotto, a leading expert in women’s sexual health and author of Better Sex Through Mindfulness, introduces eSense, a groundbreaking online platform aimed at treating low sexual desire and arousal. The discussion delves into the benefits of cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness in addressing these issues. Brotto highlights how online therapy can rival traditional methods, and explores the future of sexual health with AI and virtual reality technologies, potentially revolutionizing access to care for many.

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INSIGHT

How CBT Treats Low Desire

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets thoughts and behaviors interconnected with emotions to treat low sexual desire.
It challenges and replaces dysfunctional beliefs, promoting behavioral changes during therapy.

INSIGHT

Mindfulness Enhances Sexual Desire

Mindfulness involves non-judgmental, purposeful attention often on breath sensations with kindness.
This approach counters harsh self-judgment common in sexual issues, aiding awareness and arousal.

ANECDOTE

eSense Development Journey

Dr. Lori Brotto and Kyle Stevenson co-developed eSense to address barriers in women's sexual health care access.
The digital platform has shown high effectiveness, satisfaction, and retention in improving women's sexual desire.

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In today’s show, we’re talking about a new way of treating women’s most common sexual problems. My guest co-developed an online sexual health platform called eSense that’s designed to bring evidence-based treatment for low sexual desire and arousal to the masses at a fraction of the cost of traditional therapy. It could very well be a game-changer in the way we treat sex problems.

I am joined once again by Dr. Lori Brotto, an internationally recognized leader in sexual health research. She is a Professor in the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, a Registered Psychologist, and Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health. She is also author of the book Better Sex Through Mindfulness.

Some of the specific topics we explore include:

What is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and how can it help in treating problems with desire and arousal?
How can mindfulness-based therapy be useful in cases of low sexual desire?
How does the eSense platform leverage both CBT and mindfulness training to treat sexual difficulties?
How effective is therapy administered online compared to things like face-to-face therapy and pharmaceuticals?
How will technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality change sex therapy in the future?

You can check out Lori’s website to learn more about her work, and you can learn more about eSense at esense.health.

Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.

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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.