“Sex Box” offers Marriage Counseling in Bizarre and Public Way

If you are considering marriage counseling, the new show on WE TV, “Sex Box,” is not the way to go, in my opinion. Here is my review of the show in this week’s Love Essentially, published yesterday in Chicago Tribune Pioneer Press. 

Couples Discuss Sex Life on New TV Show by Jackie Pilossoph

Couples typically seek marriage counseling as a way to improve or even solve relationship issues, including those that have to do with romance and sex. The sessions are very private, with only the therapist knowing their deepest secrets and inner most thoughts and feelings.

But now, a new TV show is offering couples counseling in a bizarre and very public way. You might have heard of it. It’s called Sex Box, and it premiered last Friday night on We TV. I watched it, and I’m pretty sure my jaw was on the ground for the entire 60 minutes.

Here is the format: Contestant couples discuss their problems before a panel of three experts — a sex therapist, a pastor and a relationship psychotherapist in front of a live audience. After the issues are uncovered (in about three minutes), the couple retreats to “The Sex Box,” which is a sound proof room where they are supposed to have sex while the audience waits! What?! When finished, they come out and have more therapy with the panel.

The theory behind the extremely controversial show is that a chemical is released in the brain during sex, which causes couples to be at their most vulnerable just after. So, they will be the most honest and open to discuss their relationship at that moment.

Aside from the fact that I think America has hit an all-time low in TV programming with this show, as the level of sleaze is just downright pitiful, I have two main issues that dispute the theory behind Sex Box.

The first is this. Having personally experienced marriage counseling several years ago, I can tell you firsthand that it takes a lot more time than six minutes to solve your relationship issues. Just like it takes more than a few dates to fall in love, contrary to the theory of The Bachelor. Aren’t most of the couples who “got engaged” on the The Bachelor and The Bachelorette already broken up? How shocking. They figured out that they really didn’t know each other before making a commitment after six weeks to spend the rest of their lives together. The same applies to marriage counseling. Although the three experts really are credible and give very solid advice, they (nor anyone else on the planet) are equipped to save a marriage in a matter of minutes.

I think the show belittles marriage therapy…Click here to read the rest of my article in Chicago Tribune Pioneer Press!