Beyond Performance: Couples Workbook

This therapist-designed workbook provides a structured, compassionate framework for couples to rebuild intimacy, enhance communication, and reconnect physically and emotionally through sensate focus. With four progressive phases and nine guided exercises, it offers clinicians a ready-to-use tool for supporting couples in session or as between-session practice.

Inside, therapists will find:

• Step-by-step exercises that guide couples from non-genital touch to more intimate exploration, with a consistent emphasis on presence, curiosity, and emotional safety.

• Reflection questions, body-mapping activities, and communication prompts that help partners identify boundaries, share experiences, and practice consent in real time.

• Therapist-informed guidelines to reduce performance anxiety, foster vulnerability, and create a safe environment for gradual intimacy-building.

• Adaptable pacing and flexibility that make the workbook suitable for trauma-informed care, couples struggling with avoidance, or those simply seeking deeper connection.

This workbook is an ideal resource for clinicians working with couples who are:

• Navigating the impact of trauma or medical/relational challenges on intimacy

• Experiencing sexual performance anxiety, avoidance, or disconnection

• Wanting to rebuild trust, communication, and closeness in their relationship