Since 2005, Colin Richards has supported over 8,000 clients in enhancing sexual confidence and improving their intimate relationships through sensual treatment, counseling, and workshops. His holistic approach addresses the biological, psychological, and emotional aspects of sexuality, helping individuals and couples find balance to unlock potential.
If you are a woman experiencing low sexual arousal, difficulty achieving orgasm, or sexual frustration? You’re not alone. Many women face challenges in experiencing pleasure due to stress, past experiences, or a lack of proper sexual education. But did you know that in the Victorian era, female sexual frustration was actually treated as a medical condition called hysteria?
Back then, doctors believed that women’s anxiety, mood swings, and tension were caused by a buildup of “nervous energy” in the reproductive system. Their solution? Inducing what they called hysterical paroxysm, which we now recognize as an orgasm through pelvic massage.
However, this treatment was not about pleasure. It was a mechanical approach to releasing pent-up tension without acknowledging that women could or should enjoy orgasm.
Fast forward to today, and we now understand that regular orgasm and erotic stimulation are essential for a woman’s overall health and well-being.
Sexuality is no longer seen as a problem to be “treated” but as a natural and empowering part of life. Sensual professionals, such as Sex Engineers and Sensual Masseurs at Intimacy Matters in Chelsea Central London, offer therapeutic, sensual massage treatments to help women reconnect with their bodies, explore their desires, and experience deep physical and emotional satisfaction.
Victorian hysteria: When orgasm was a medical prescription
What was female hysteria?
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, women suffering from anxiety, mood swings, depression, or irritability were frequently diagnosed with hysteria. Doctors believed these symptoms were caused by “wandering wombs” or a buildup of energy in the female body that needed to be released.
The ‘cure’: Inducing paroxysm (orgasm) through pelvic massage
Since sex was primarily seen as a male pleasure, the idea of women needing or enjoying orgasm was dismissed. Instead, doctors would manually stimulate women to the point of hysterical paroxysm (now recognized as orgasm) to provide temporary relief from their symptoms.
However, this approach was clinical and impersonal, treating orgasm as a necessary but purely functional act. Doctors did not acknowledge female sexual desire; they saw orgasm as a way to “cure” emotional distress rather than something women should seek for their own pleasure.
In 1748, French physician Joseph Raulin described hysteria as a “vaporous ailment” affection vaporeuse in French, an illness spread through air pollution in large urban areas.
While Raulin noted that both men and women could contract hysteria, women were, according to him, more predisposed to this ailment because of their lazy and irritable nature.
In 1770–1773, another French physician, François Boissier de Sauvages de Lacroix, described hysteria as something akin to emotional instability, “subject to sudden changes with a great sensibility of the soul.”
Some of the hysteria symptoms that he named included: “a swollen abdomen, suffocating angina (chest pain) or dyspnea (shortness of breath), dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), cold extremities, tears and laughter, oscitation (yawning), pandiculation (stretching and yawning), delirium, a close and driving pulse, and abundant and clear urine.”
De Sauvages agreed with his predecessors that this condition primarily affected women and that “men are only rarely hysterical.”
According to him, sexual deprivation was often the cause of female hysteria. To illustrate this, he presented the case study of a nun affected by hysteria, who became cured only when a well-wishing barber took it upon himself to pleasure her.
Another means of “treating” instances of hysteria was through mesmerism, an alleged psychosomatic therapy popularized by Franz Anton Mesmer, a German doctor who was active in 18th-century Europe.
As the demand for this treatment increased, doctors began complaining of hand fatigue, leading to the invention of the first vibrators in the late 19th century. These devices were originally marketed as medical instruments before becoming widely recognized as pleasure products.
The end of the hysteria diagnosis and its impact on women
By the early 1900s, advancements in psychology and women’s rights led to the dismissal of hysteria as a medical condition. However, this shift created a new problem: women who had previously received some form of release through “treatment” were suddenly left without any sexual guidance. Female pleasure remained taboo, and many women continued to struggle with sexual frustration, anxiety, and emotional suppression.
The modern approach: How sensual massage reconnects women to pleasure
Unlike the clinical and impersonal treatments of the past, today’s understanding of female arousal, orgasm, and sensuality is based on empowerment, self-care, and holistic well-being. Women no longer need to rely on outdated medical perspectives, and they now have access to sensual therapy and erotic massage, which can help them:
Overcome sexual blocks
Increase arousal and sensitivity
Enhance orgasmic potential
Release stress and emotional tension
Improve body confidence and intimacy
Sensual massage and erotic therapy: A natural way to enhance sexual pleasure
At Intimacy Matters, highly trained Sex Engineers and Sensual Masseurs provide therapeutic sensual and erotic massage designed to:
Awaken sexual energy: Stimulating erogenous zones in a safe, respectful, and professional setting helps women rediscover their natural desires.
Encourage full-body relaxation: Unlike the rushed, mechanical treatments of the past, sensual massage is a mindful, immersive experience that allows for deep emotional and physical release.
Improve orgasm control and sensitivity: Many women struggle to reach climax due to stress, tension, or past trauma. Regular erotic stimulation can increase sensitivity and make orgasms more frequent and intense.
Foster self-love and body appreciation: Sensual massage encourages women to embrace their bodies and explore pleasure without shame or judgment.
Why regular orgasm and sexual wellness matter
The health benefits of regular orgasms
Reduces stress and anxiety: Orgasms trigger the release of endorphins and oxytocin, helping to lower cortisol levels and promote relaxation.
Improves sleep: Post orgasm, the body releases hormones that aid in better sleep quality and deeper rest.
Strengthens intimacy and confidence: Feeling comfortable with your own pleasure enhances both self-esteem and connection with partners.
Boosts energy and mood: Sexual satisfaction increases dopamine levels, creating feelings of happiness, motivation, and overall well-being.
Prevents sexual frustration and tension buildup: Just as Victorian doctors recognized the effects of suppressed sexuality (albeit in a limited way), modern science confirms that repressing sexual energy can lead to frustration, irritability, and emotional distress.
Breaking the stigma: Female Sexual Empowerment in the 21st Century
Unlike in the past, when female orgasm was seen as a medical function, today, it is embraced as an essential part of health and happiness. Sensual massage and erotic therapy offer a safe, professional, and deeply fulfilling way to explore pleasure, release stress, and enhance overall well-being.
Women no longer need to suffer in silence or feel ashamed about their sexual desires. Whether through self-exploration, sensual massage, or guided intimacy sessions, every woman deserves to experience deep, satisfying pleasure as a natural and celebrated part of life.
Take the next step toward sexual fulfillment
If you’re struggling with low arousal, difficulty reaching orgasm, or sexual frustration, there is help available. Sensual massage and erotic therapy can provide a safe, guided space to explore your desires and experience the relaxation, pleasure, and empowerment you deserve.
Are you ready to embrace your full sensual potential?
Book a confidential consultation with Colin at Intimacy Matters today and start your journey toward deeper pleasure and well-being.
Final thoughts
The evolution from Victorian hysteria treatments to modern sensual therapy reflects how far society has come in understanding female sexuality. Pleasure is not a luxury; it’s a fundamental part of health, happiness, and self-care.
Women today have the freedom to seek out experiences that enhance their sexual confidence, emotional balance, and overall well-being. By prioritizing sensual pleasure, we can finally move beyond the outdated stigmas of the past and celebrate orgasm as a natural, empowering, and essential part of life.
Have questions?
Want to learn more about how sensual therapy can help you? Contact Intimacy Matters today for a confidential discussion.
Read more from Colin James De Courcy Richards
Colin James De Courcy Richards, Somatic Sexologist, Massage & Intimacy Practitioner
Colin Richards, a full-time Sex & Intimacy practitioner since 2005, has worked with over 8,000 clients to improve sexual confidence and address a range of intimate challenges. He offers a variety of services, including sensual massage, psychosensual treatments, counseling, and workshops. His humanistic approach integrates biological, psychological and emotional factors to help clients explore their sexual potential. Colin founded Intimacy Matters in 2012, where he has guided many individuals and couples toward deeper intimacy and connection. He regularly publishes articles on sexuality and relationship issues and conducts public talks, workshops, and social events in London. Colin has been featured extensively on UK national TV & Media.
