Sexual Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinic

The Sexual Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinic at the Reuth Rehabilitation Hospital Tel Aviv is the largest public clinic of its type in Israel. The clinic serves the general public and offers unique specialism in sexual rehabilitation. Sexual functioning is one of the foundations upon which the health and wellbeing of an individual is based and the clinic has the ability to enable healthy recovery and emotional rehabilitation for the patients.

Patients

The clinic treats men and women who are experiencing difficulties in sexual functioning and who turn to receive help. The patients suffer from a wide range of disorders in sexual and relationship functioning, including erectile dysfunction, problems with ejaculation (fast or delayed ejaculation), sexual urge disorders, relationship problems, pain on penetration and pain in general, difficulties with orgasms and difficulties in creating relationships and social skills.

The treatment at the clinic is also given to people suffering from a range of injuries and disabilities, including spinal cord injuries, orthopaedic and head injuries, cerebral palsy and post traumatic stress. The objective of the treatment is to enable these patients to have a full sex life and satisfying relationships.

Treatment may be coordinated privately or based on a referral from an HMO physician.

Treatments

The clinic takes a holistic treatment-rehabilitation approach which takes into account all the patient’s difficulties. Every treatment is given when taking into consideration the unique needs and wishes both of the patient and his/her partner, which are clarified during the assessment. The initial assessment is divided into two:

1. When this is a problem that has a physical background, an examination shall be carried out the objective of which is to assess the physiological problem and the measure of its effect on the sexual dysfunction.
2. When it is clear that the problem is on a psychological basis, an introductory session and assessment shall be carried out the objective of which is to locate the cause of the problem and understand the personal, interpersonal, familial and employment reasons that have an effect on sexual functioning.

The treatment program is customized personally for each patient and is composed of a range of multidisciplinary treatments:

• Sexual therapy (sexological)
• Couples therapy
• Group therapy
• Psychodrama therapy
• Rehabilitation Psychology
• Treatment by expression in creation
• Pelvic floor physiotherapy

There is also a gynaecology clinic specifically for women with disabilities.

From an awareness and understanding of the field we are very sensitive to the privacy of the patients and therefore the treatment meetings are held in separate rooms dispersed throughout the Medical Center campus. Thus, the patients do not meet each other in a waiting room and do not encounter each other.

The treatments take place all days of the week, mainly in the afternoon and evening, for the convenience of the younger employed population. In total some 250-300 treatments take place each month.

Research and academic activity

The clinic is recognized for internship on behalf of the Israeli Society for Sex Therapy (ISST). The staff are involved in research and academic activity and stand out in professional conventions in the field. The Director of the Clinic, Prof. Rafi Heruti, established and coordinates the Human Sexuality Course at the Faculty of Medicine at the Tel Aviv University.

The team

A multidisciplinary team working in the clinic includes specialists and interns in a wide range of treatment professions. All our specialists and interns are professionals of the highest standard, with seniority and experience of three years and more in the various fields of treatment. The team is comprised of specialist physicians in sexual rehabilitation and therapy, clinical social workers with an MA degree, clinical psychologists with an MA degree, physiotherapists, psychodrama therapists and clinical psychologists.

The multi-professional team provides all the treatments under one roof.