What keeps sexual chemistry alive after 30 years together? A sex therapist explains

Sex therapist Efrat Manor explains that sexual chemistry is a dynamic quality that can be developed through communication, authenticity, and emotional safety, rather than just an initial spark. She distinguishes between fleeting sexual attraction and the broader, cultivable concept of sexual compatibility.
Why it matters
Understanding the distinction between attraction and chemistry can help long-term couples improve their intimacy and relationship satisfaction.
Efrat Manor is a clinical social worker, sex therapist and director of Bishvil HaMiniyut (For Sexuality), a sexual therapy clinic. She is married, has two children and lives in Tel Aviv. Let’s talk about sexual chemistry. What does it actually mean? "People tend to think sexual chemistry is a spark that either appears the moment two people meet or it doesn’t. But in real life, it’s a combination of many things. There’s attraction and curiosity, but also the way you communicate, how naturally the conversation flows, your ability to laugh and be silly together, and the feeling that you can be free and authentic. “In a sexual context, it is expressed through looks, touch, flirting, rhythm and the sense that both people can read and understand one another.
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