Kathryn collaborated with Hannah Tyer for this month’s blog. Hannah is an Occupational Therapist and Certified Sexuality Occupational Therapy Practitioner who runs a private sex therapy practice in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I can’t overstate how excited I get whenever I see OTs in product development roles. A huge kudos to Hannah for pushing the boundaries of where and how OTs show up to change the world!

As occupational therapy practitioners, we are perfectly equipped to address sexual wellness through the lens of occupation and client-centered care. Yet, we often find ourselves looking for accessible, practical tools to help clients bridge the gap between discussion and action that helps couples explore and repattern touch in a structured way. That’s where Touch Therapy comes in—a resource I, Hannah, created out of my work in private practice to support clients in deepening intimacy through intentional, guided connection.

**What is Touch Therapy?**

Touch Therapy is a sexual card game for couples, offering 30 OT-created activities that blend meaningful conversation with hands-on exercises. The cards are divided into four categories—building foundational connection, sensory exploration, deepening sexual intimacy, and toy play—allowing couples to move at their own pace.

This resource was born directly from Hannah’s experiences working with clients who wanted more than just verbal education or a handout—they needed interactive, embodied ways to rebuild connection. Touch Therapy is especially supportive for couples who are kinesthetic learners, offering a hands-on experience that feels playful, engaging, and accessible.

The activities are grounded in mindfulness, sensory engagement, and nervous system regulation, helping couples build emotional safety, deepen communication, and foster mutual exploration. Designed to be gender-neutral and inclusive of all relationship structures, Touch Therapy supports couples of all orientations in building emotional and physical intimacy. It offers a structured, pressure-free framework that helps partners explore connection, attunement, and pleasure in a way that is approachable and adaptable across many clinical and community settings.

People can look through the deck and pick out which card they are willing / interested in trying.

Practical Applications for Different Settings

Acute Rehab

Clients recovering from physical injury or illness often experience profound changes in body image, activity tolerance, touch tolerance, physical abilities, and intimacy. In acute rehab, Touch Therapy can serve as a gentle way to reintroduce safe, affectionate touch—without the pressure of immediately returning to previous levels of sexual activity. Assigning a "foundational connection" activity such as mindful hand-holding or shared breathing can help couples begin re-establishing closeness at a pace that feels emotionally and physically safe.

Private Practice

When working with individuals or couples navigating low desire, desire discrepancies, or communication barriers, Touch Therapy provides structured but playful assignments between sessions. For example, a prompt like "Share a memory of a pleasurable intimate experience and describe the sensory details" helps partners focus on positive somatic experiences, reinforcing attunement and emotional safety. As one client shared, "My partner and I tried these cards out and it was quite fun. I love the design of the deck, it has different categories, and all the prompts are easy to understand. Some made us laugh, some were a bit awkward in the beginning, but I can see this bringing us closer again. The cards are a mix of cozy, playful, and sexy."

Pelvic Floor Therapy

Clients in pelvic floor therapy often benefit from graded exposure to physical intimacy and reconnecting with their bodies. Touch Therapy offers low-pressure touch and sensory exploration activities that can be seamlessly integrated into home programs. Activities such as "Explore temperature play using warm and cool objects on the forearm" help clients build sensory awareness and trust in a non-threatening, supportive way.

Neurodivergent Teens and Young Adults

With neurodivergent clients, especially teens and young adults, relationship and intimacy skills may need to be explicitly taught. Touch Therapy’s clear, step-by-step exercises can be adapted to practice skills like asking for consent, recognizing sensory preferences, and building comfort with romantic or sexual touch. One user reflected, "The cards are very neurodivergent friendly—easy instructions and the cards actually tell you what to do, which makes it so much easier to stay out of your head and just enjoy the moment."

Why It Matters

Sexual wellness is a critical aspect of occupational engagement, yet it often remains overlooked in practice. Touch Therapy allows OTs to bring sexual health into the therapeutic space in a way that feels structured, accessible, and affirming. Whether you're working in inpatient rehab, outpatient settings, or private practice, having tools like Touch Therapy empowers you to approach intimacy with confidence and creativity.

By offering clients a hands-on, mindful approach to intimacy-building, Touch Therapy supports what we as occupational therapists do best: helping people live fuller, more connected lives.

Please support Hannah’s work that’s putting OT on the map in nontraditional ways by ordering Touch Therapy and try out the cards yourself!