Kink-affirming therapy is a treatment method that aims to remove the shame that those who engage in a kinky sexual lifestyle may encounter.
While many therapists are now gay-affirmative, finding a therapist that supports and is knowledgeable about alternative sexual lifestyles that include BDSM or other erotic fetishes.
In fact, some mental health professionals believe fetishes may hinder sexual intimacy. Kink-affirming therapy aims to help clients integrate their kinks into their sexual life and enjoy it.
A kink-aware therapist accepts and respects the lifestyle of their clients, just as they are. They create a safe space for discussion of their sexual life freely without the worry of shame, embarrassment, or judgment.
The therapist focuses on integrating the client's kink preferences into the client's life and relationship while working to dispel any guilt or shame tied to their sexual preferences.
Kink-friendly therapists encourage self-acceptance so that the client can enjoy intimacy and have greater peace of mind. Therapy affirming is against repressing the client’s kinks since this often creates self-hatred and shame, which reduce the client's ability to be intimate.