What’s it all about?
SPT is a somatic approach in the field of sex and relationship therapy in which a professional surrogate partner is engaged to work physically and intimately with the client toward the client's expressed goals. For more detailed information, refer to the International Surrogates Association (IPSA), www.SurrogateTherapy.org.
It is primarily used within the context of on-going therapy where physical experience is both at the core of the client’s concerns and likely to be the best way of resolving those concerns. Through carefully establishing a therapeutic context, and by setting and maintaining strong boundaries, SPT works to bring elements of useful and necessary felt experience into an on-going therapy process, along with practice with a partner in the development of sexual/loving relationship skills.
Based on the work of Masters and Johnson from the 1960s and 70s, and further developed by various therapists and researchers since then, Surrogate Partner Therapy (previously referred to as Sexual Surrogacy) is a 3-way therapeutic relationship consisting of a client (you), a mental health professional (your therapist) and a surrogate (me).
Surrogate Partner Therapy has been shown to be effective in the treatment of a variety of sexual disorders and problems with sexual functioning. Common issues include lack of experience, fear of intimacy, and shame or anxiety regarding sex. And it has served as a solid sensory foundation from which clients with mental, emotional or physical disabilities can build a more satisfying sexual/relationship life.
Because there is no governmental licensing or regulation of surrogate partners, IPSA has assumed the responsibility of assuring the therapeutic community and the public that IPSA members have received adequate training, achieved professional competency, and adhere to the highest standards of ethical practice.
The legal status of Surrogate Partner Therapy is undefined in the United States and most countries around the world. This means that there are generally no laws regulating the profession. Some therapists fear personal legal consequences from recommending surrogates, but in over 40 years, there have been no successful legal challenges to IPSA Certified Surrogates, or to therapists who have worked with them.