Sex Therapy New Zealand is a nationwide counselling service for anyone seeking help with intimacy and sexuality concerns. It is also a referral network for clinicians seeking expert help for their patients and clients.
Our mission is to provide best practice assessment and treatment, delivery of education programmes, participate in research and to raise public awareness through the media by promoting life enhancing intimacy and sexuality.
The company was founded by clinical psychologist Robyn Salisbury, in response to her concerns about the following:
- The fact that clients tend not to raise the issue of sex in counselling but if the therapist asks about sex, the client, almost inevitably, reveals problems. This is consistent with international research suggests at least 40% of all individuals will experience a sexual problem at some stage in their life but only 10% report their concern.
- Lack of professional knowledge
- Lack of available services.
When Sex Therapy New Zealand was restructured in 2010, four of the existing team become shareholding directors, responsible for governance of the company. Each director now has responsibility for clinical practice and management in a specific area of the country. Robin retains a fond interest in the company. She supports the directors in every way that she can.
At that time, the University of Auckland took over responsibility for the series of training seminars developed and delivered by Robyn Salisbury, to over 500 psychologists, psychotherapists, occupational therapists, counsellors, doctors and specialist nurses. The trainings are now offered as papers towards graduate and post graduate studies and some of them are still taught by Dr Allyson Waite.