My Practice

I work to create a safe environment where you can discuss your sexual needs and explore them openly, free of judgment. This includes any negative feelings you may have—and past experiences that inform your current relationship to sex and intimacy. I can work with you individually or see both you and a partner for therapy sessions. 

 

I want to help you connect with your body and better understand what happens in your mind during moments of physical intimacy. Together, we’ll discover your own answer to the question “What is true pleasure for you?” or “How does pleasure differ from performance?”

 

Depending on your needs during sex therapy, I may use different therapy modalities, including non-Western practices. We may also:

• Explore concepts of desire and arousal 

• Discover simple, practical ways to enhance your sex life 

• Address traumatic events involving sex, including sexual assault

• Build confidence in all things sex and intimacy

• Unpack biases you may have internalized surrounding sex and intimacy

• Discuss how your cycle influences your libido, needs, and desires (for women)

 

Mental Health Challenges

Mental health can negatively affect your sex life in different ways, depending on your circumstances. For example, reduced libido is a common symptom of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and similar mental health conditions. You may have also started a new medication that limits your ability to become sexually aroused. 

 

Sex therapy can help you better understand these issues and handle any emotions that come up about them. We’ll also explore why a mental health challenge can inhibit your ability to maintain arousal or achieve orgasm. Then, we’ll determine a course of action that best fits your needs.

 

Sex as Taboo

Many cultures in the U.S. also view sex as taboo or even unnatural, causing many people to experience a wide range of emotional issues. For example, they may repress their desires or feel intense shame and guilt. As a result, they might avoid physical intimacy altogether or take part in unhealthy sexual practices that deplete their mental health.

 

During therapy sessions, we’ll look at assumptions and beliefs about sex you may have internalized during your childhood and adolescence. For example, some clients grew up in religious communities that condemn sexual encounters before marriage. Others (women especially) may react negatively to how the media depicts their bodies.

 

Sex therapy can help you end generational patterns that work against your own needs and desires. Using different modalities, we’ll identify your true beliefs about sex and intimacy—versus the mindsets that others want you to have—and bolster your confidence in expressing them.
 

Communication

Communication is a vital component of a pleasurable, healthy sexual experience. Everyone has the right to choose what type of sex they want, when to have it, and who their partners are. Sex therapy can help you set these boundaries with compassion and care—and develop a strong foundation of trust with your partner.

 

Strong communication also ensures safe sex. It’s important that you and an intimate partner can enthusiastically consent to every sexual activity during an encounter. By learning key communication skills in therapy, you can better ensure that consent stays an active part of the conservation from the first moment of sexual contact.

 

Differing Sexual Needs

Everyone has different sexual desires and needs. Some people have a more sensitive “turn off” mechanism, while others have a more sensitive “turn on” mechanism instead. This influences a person’s ability to feel aroused and stay aroused. As a result, some people only desire sex at certain times, while others crave it more regularly. 

 

As couples explore new routes of physical intimacy, they may encounter differences that seem irreconcilable. Every configuration is normal—by considering how your brain responds to external stimuli, you can better understand your own sexuality. In sex therapy, we can discuss your unique situation and discover equally unique ways for you and your partner to achieve true pleasure. 

 

Life Transitions

Life transitions can have a big impact on your sex life. You may find an established routine shaken up beyond repair or experience a drastic shift in priorities during your daily life. I see the latter a lot in my perinatal clients—new babies require a lot of attention, and many couples find themselves too exhausted to prioritize physical or emotional intimacy.

 

Other common examples of life transitions include moving to a new location, starting a new job, or taking on care-taking duties for an aging parent. During sessions, we can explore why your sex life changed and determine what type of routine works best for the future.

 

Sex After Trauma

Trauma can greatly impact a person’s sex life, causing more strife during their journey toward emotional healing. This is especially true when a person experiences sexual abuse at any point during their lifetime. Here are some ways that sexual trauma can impact your relationship with physical and emotional intimacy:

• Reduced libido & ability to stay aroused

• Feelings of shame or guilt when thinking about sex

• Dissociation during sexual encounters

• Aversion to physical touch

• Inability to trust sexual partners 

• Compulsive hypersexuality

 

If you’re experiencing these effects, know that you don’t have to handle them alone. In my practice, I work to create a safe, supportive environment where you can share your fears and emotions. As we build trust during sessions, we’ll talk about your triggers related to sex—and determine how to best help  you find pleasure and happiness in physical and emotional intimacy.