Sex Therapy
About Sex Therapy
Sexuality is an essential aspect of the human experience, regardless of your gender, sexual orientation, or the experiences you have had in life. I have specific training in helping people work through concerns relating to their sexual life.
Sex therapy is a talk-based therapy during which we focus on understanding the underlying causes of sexual problems. I work with people, including those with experiences of trauma and sexual violence, to discover and rediscover their sexual selves.
Approaching therapy – including sex therapy – from a psychoanalytic perspective means that symptoms are not the goal or guiding stars of therapy, it also means that the turbulence and currents of the therapy relationship are both informative for insight and powerful for healing. Crucially, I also believe that the patient’s individual form of and relationship to their sexuality are immeasurably important in ways that are difficult to appreciate at the outset of therapy. This means that, in contrast to many forms of sex therapy that can be brief and focused on problem solving techniques, I practice sex therapy that works towards depth, insight, and understanding of the significance of sex for you.
I provide sex-positive, queer and trans-affirming, kink- and poly- friendly therapy.
FAQs
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Yes and no - both are a "talk therapy" in which a client a therapist talk openly about the client's concerns. Sex therapy never involves physical contact or a sexual relationship between the therapist and client. Sex therapy may differ from psychotherapy in focusing more exclusively on sexuality.
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Sex therapy can be for couples and partners or it can be for individuals.
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Yes I am licensed to practice sex therapy and have received extensive post-graduate training in sex therapy – and no, I am not certified as an AASECT Sex Therapist. In Wisconsin, as in most states, there is no distinct licensure for sex therapists. This means that in order to practice sex therapy, one must be a licensed psychotherapist. The "AASECT Sex Therapist" certification is a trade organization certification that is one of several trade organizations for sex therapy. I have decided not to retain membership in AASECT due to their narrow focus on behavioral therapies and vocal support for the genocide of Palestinians.
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Yes!
What to Expect
During the first appointment with me, you can expect me that I will begin by reviewing your right to confidential treatment and the limits and protections involved in confidentiality. I will also explain baseline expectations for how I run my practice. Once I ensure that you have this critical information, I will spend time listening to your concerns and the context in which they exist. At the end of the first session, we should share an appreciation of what brings you to therapy and whether I recommend that we work together.
The first few appointments will focus on deepening our understanding of your concerns, establishing a relationship, and elaborating the details of your life that will help us to understand what you are going through. Often, the first few appointments involve me listening and asking questions while adding very few comments until I have a better appreciation for who you are and what you experience in life.
Therapy may be short and focused, with clearly-defined limits on how long it will last or it may last many years with no pre-determined expectation of when it will end. Therapy appointments may vary in frequency (from several times per week to less than weekly). You can expect that I will work with you to develop a therapy based on your goals and expectations.
Fees
My standard fee for a 1 hour appointment is $160, however I am committed to proving accessible psychotherapy services and encourage you to contact me if you require psychotherapy for a lower rate than this.
I do not accept health insurance plans as payment for services. Health insurance companies are primarily focused on increasing shareholder profits, which comes at the expense of our work together. Insurance plans require justification of medical necessity and limitations on the scope of psychotherapy that can inhibit the efficacy of the relationship.
I accept payment by cash, check, or IvyPay