Can I say too much to my therapist?

I was talking to an acquaintance the other day and she asked me if there was anything that should not be discussed with a therapist. I chuckled to myself, because I have heard a few things in my career, and asked a question back. I asked, “Is there anything you would not tell your doctor if you were going for a checkup, or would you want the doc to know everything?”. She thought for a moment and replied, “I would want my doctor to know everything because it’s my health”. I then asked why everything involving physical health was ok to talk about, but mental health was not. This individual smiled, and our conversation continued.
After asking her question, she proceeded to tell me that she and her husband’s sex life was lacking but he was unwilling to talk about it with anyone other than her; citing that the topic was “private” and should not be discussed outside of their marriage. I took the same approach of discussing physical health and asked if her husband would talk to his doctor if he had erectile dysfunction. She thought this to be a no brainer and told me he would because it was physical issue. I asked if her husband’s ability to perform enhanced their relationship. Again, she smiled and said yes. So, if talking about private matters can enhance you or your relationship, why not discuss them?
From this example, my goal was to protect their relationship. A sexual dysfunction could potentially damage the relationship; therefore, the husband would want to share personal information with his doctor to rectify the situation. From my perspective, sharing information about your sex life (or any topic for that matter) with a mental health therapist is no different than sharing important information with a medical doctor. The therapist is there to help the couple enhance their physical enjoyment and emotional intimacy. Sharing sexual concerns with a trained professional is much like sharing performance concerns with a urologist. The goal is to fix a problem. By sharing information that may feel taboo, your therapist can give you skills to help fix the issue.
No matter what you are facing, take action to improve yourself or your relationship(s). Dustin Hall, LCSW,  therapist in Bountiful, Utah, can help. Contact Salt City Mental Health today to start enhancing your happiness and the happiness of the ones you love. Click the link to schedule online with a therapist.