@nezumivc103221 said: Is there something that she's doing for herself to help her enjoy penetrative sex without the anxiety and pain? Some sort of relaxation therapy or meditation?
ahh thank you so much for asking this bc it’s actually a really great segue into a headcanon i’ve been meaning to write!!
in short, yes, alison definitely does something to help alleviate any pain and anxiety she may have surrounding penetrative sex. she wants to enjoy intimacy with her partner, and moreover, being able to enjoy sex on her own terms is quite empowering for her given her history with sex. so she really would want to be able to overcome the difficulties that genito-pelvic disorder bring about. if we’re being completely honest, though, i think what alison does exactly is very route dependent ( i.e. whether she seeks therapy either on her own or with encouragement from her partner, whether she and her partner figure things out together privately, whether alison works on it alone, ect. )
in the past, i’ve talked to ship partners about the concept of sensate focus. in short, it’s a therapeutic technique between couples that serves to “improve intimacy and communication between partners around sex, reduce sexual performance anxiety, and shift away from ingrained, goal-oriented sexual patterns that may not be serving a couple.” [ Sexual Medicine Society of North America ( SMSNA ) website; link above ]. it consists of a series of touching exercises that are completed in a sequence, starting from non-genital touching and progressing to intercourse. the specific steps are:
1. non-genital touching
2. genital and breast touching
3. adding lotion/lubricants to step 2
4. mutual touching
5. “sensual” intercourse
couples take turns being the receiver and giver of touch, focusing on details such as temperature, pressure, contours of their partner’s body, and the tactile sensation of their partner’s touch. it’s a very interesting concept because the focus isn’t to arouse each other; it’s very much to get used to each other’s touch and to get familiar with being touched without the pressure of having to perform sexually. it’s a connection that alison requires in order to feel comfortable enough around her partner to not tighten up whenever penetrative sex is about to happen.
how alison learns about sensate focus is, again, route dependent. implementing sensate focus makes the most sense when alison has a romantic partner, but i think in a scenario where alison has no sexual partners, she may do something similar to the technique on herself. exploring her sexual anatomy in private, understanding what positions hurt and which don’t when it comes penetrative sex without the pressure of climaxing ( and in turn overcoming the internal stigma she has with the concept of self-pleasuring ). she may even turn to using medical dilators to help her get used to the sensation of penetrative sex even without a partner, and this would help her endure like, using tampons as well since that can hurt her sometimes if it’s been too long.
i also think alison tries really hard to remember to keep breathing during sex — it’s so, so easy for her to hold her breath and tense up, especially when she feels like she should be performing or acting a certain way with her partner, but when there’s really strong chemistry and genuine intimacy and understanding between her and her partner, i can see alison really developing and growing a lot when it comes to her sexuality.