In every living thing there is the desire for love.- DH Lawrence
Because relationships are complex, I practice couples and sex therapy as a combined discipline with straight, gay and lesbian couples. I treat the full spectrum of couples issues including the “sexless marriage”, infidelity, constant arguing, fertility and pregnancy stress, problems of desire, arousal and performance.
Whatever your situation, I am easy to talk to and experienced. I strive to create a nonjudgmental, welcoming environment in which you as an individual or as a couple can experience self-determination. It is not for me to say how other people should live their lives or to be a defender of marriage or a promoter of divorce. I view couples counseling as a collaborative process tailored to the uniqueness of the individuals and their situation.
We are a sexually gregarious species that also values pair-bonding. “Love says, I have.
Desire says, I want.” Your ability to tolerate, balance, and handle these two powerful drives is challenging. There is no one- size-fits- all when it comes to relationships and sexuality.
Sexual dysfuction can become apparent at any age. Sometimes, we need help to sort out what is going on and examine how old beliefs and early upbringing are unconsciously influencing the present situation.
There is scientific research to support that adults bond and relate in “attachment” patterns based on their relationship with the earliest caregiver. The relationship dance of the mommy and baby is repeated in adult love relationships. I teach couples how to identify their dance and connect with each other’s inner experience to create a deeper bond of closeness, intimacy and understanding. I also help couples learn how to talk about sex and develop erotic intelligence.
I’m a certified couples and sex therapist, trained and supervised by Walter Bracklemans MD, originator of Inter-analytic Couples Therapy and founder of the American Association of Couples and Sex Therapists (AACAST).
I have a large toolkit. I’ve studied with world famous couples counseling gurus including: Ester Perel (Mating In Captivity), Sue Johnson (Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy), John Gottman (The 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work), David Schnarch (Passionate Marriage), Ellen Bader (Tell Me No Lies), Charles and Caroline Muir (Tantra:The Art of Conscious Loving), Stan Tatkin (Wired for Love) and Jack Rosenberg (The Intimate Couple).
Because the most important success factor is your fit with the therapist, I offer a no obligation confidential couples counseling consultation. In the privacy of my serene Encino office, which is near Sherman Oaks, Tarzana, Studio City, Reseda, Northridge, Canoga Park, Calabasas, Westwood, Belaire, Brentwood, Woodland Hills, we can explore what brings you to treatment at this time and you can get a sense of me and how we might work together.