Chantelle Otten: The three big problems couples face in the bedroom

Celebrity sexologist Chantelle Otten revealed the three biggest problems couples face in the bedroom when she appeared The morning show on Tuesday.

Dylan Alcott, partner of disability advocate and former Australian of the Year, said the main issues she deals with during sessions with her clients are “orgasm problems”, “discrepancies in desire” and the effect of stress on sex.

She said these things are “constantly brought up” by couples she meets in consultation.

Speaking to co-hosts Kylie Gillies and Larry Emdur, Chantelle said couples are often “too stressed to have sex” and eventually lose interest due to outside pressure.

“I think after Covid, we feel like we’re kind of in a rat race and the economy is changing now as well. You can see the impact it has,” she explained.

“The post-Covid mental health crisis has, too [had] a very big impact on people’s sex lives,” she added.

Chantelle went on to say that “pain, communication problems and [a lack of] sex education in general’ contribute to sexual problems for couples.

She noted that experiencing pain during sex can feel “quite embarrassing,” but it shouldn’t be, as this affects one in five women.

Chantelle said the most important thing for individuals is to work on themselves to have a healthy and functional sex life with others.

“I think in couples therapy it’s really hard to look inward,” she said.

“We often take things personally, but eventually people realize that we can’t change our partners, we can only change ourselves,” she added.

She concluded by saying that sex therapy is not just about struggling couples, but also about people looking for ways to be more adventurous in bed..

“It could be if you’re curious, if you want to have more fun,” Chantelle said.

“It’s not just about problems. It could be about finding more fun or trying new toys or expanding your relationship dynamic.”