Relationships & Intimacy

Having the opportunity to talk in a safe environment with an experienced psychotherapist can help enhance many different aspects of our intimate relationships. You might be in a partnership with a person you love a lot, but something just seems “off,” and you can’t yet put your finger on it. Or it has become more difficult to connect sexually with your companion. In some situations, there have been instances of infidelity that have not been fully addressed. Or perhaps you’ve come to realize how unhappy you are in your primary relationship, even while feeling deeply attached to the other person. Many of us have experienced a painful breakup, or have difficulty sustaining romantic bonds. 

I can work with you to more deeply understand your relational patterns and find new ways to experience fulfilling intimacy. Depending on your circumstances, we can meet one-on-one, or together with your partner, or engaging the entire family unit. I provide warm support for a wide range of diverse configurations, including monogamous, open, and poly, as well as dynamics that are sexual, affectional, or familial.

Learning how to resolve the emotional pain that sometimes comes hand-in-hand with love—or when seeking love—can bring up core feelings around our basic self-worth. And current relationship difficulties can be all-too-familiar echoes of childhood dynamics with parents, caregivers, and siblings. While bringing attention to these prior experiences can sometimes feel challenging, the benefits can be life-changing, leading to new possibilities for joyful connections with the people closest to us.

It’s remarkable how much dating patterns have changed in recent years, especially with the ever-increasing prominence of the internet, dating/sex apps, and social media, as well as the wide variety of innovative relational arrangements. The old storybook narrative of meeting a nice person, having a few dates, and living happily-ever-after feels distant for many of us.  Perhaps you have become obsessed with trying to navigate these ever-evolving technological and interpersonal milieus, or it may seem almost impossible to keep up. But you can learn how to successfully navigate the dizzying array of contemporary options, and I very much look forward to the opportunity to help you find ways to achieve satisfying sexual and relational affiliations.  

In our rapidly evolving social environment, virtually all of us need ample compassion and support for having erotic experiences and relationships congruent with our own distinctive values, desires, and needs. Navigating sex and relationships in today’s world can be particularly challenging for people in open, poly, kinky, and other relationship constellations, especially when in the process of deconstructing old identities and/or coalescing new ones. Some of my clients are in the process of considering opening up their relationships, while others are navigating poly or blended family styles, and some are exploring the particular joys and challenges of engagement with BDSM. I have many years of personal and professional experience with non-traditional relationship configurations, and am excited to helping you find the unique path forward that feels best for you.

Most of us experience variations in the intensity of our sexual desire and arousal, and in many cases a lowering of these factors is resolved spontaneously with time, or perhaps with improved overall self-care. However, some issues, including erectile dysfunction (ED) and a persistent lack of desire, can benefit from the expertise of a caring psychotherapist. Sexual arousal is one of the most complex systems in our body, and can easily be affected by physiological, psychological, relational, or emotional problems seemingly unrelated to it. It is also one of the most sensitive issues that can cut deep into our psyches and reduce feelings of well-being. However, healing around erotic dynamics is highly possible, whether you are currently in a relationship or single. I have been successfully helping many clients reclaim their sexuality and develop new experiences that are more erotically and relationally satisfying.