Surrogate partner

Surrogate partners, formerly referred to as sex surrogates, are practitioners trained in addressing issues of intimacy and sexuality. The modality in which surrogate partners work is called surrogate partner therapy.

A surrogate partner works in collaboration with a talk therapist to meet the goals of their client.

This triadic model, composed of the client, talk therapist, and surrogate partner therapist is used to dually support the client and the surrogate partner therapist. The client engages with the surrogate partner therapist in experiential exercises and builds a relationship with their surrogate partner therapist while processing and integrating their experiences with their talk therapist or clinician.

Surrogate partner therapy is used to address obstacles to physical and emotional intimacy that a client is unable to resolve through traditional therapy and that require the involvement of a partner. Clients' presenting issues have commonly included sexual dysfunctions, lack of healthy intimate experiences, or traumatic history.