Sexual Health Through Education and Skill Building
Q: How do you treat sexual difficulties?
A: I use use a sequential, task based approach that consists of weekly communication, touching, and educational experiences. Experiences are fine-tuned to each couple’s needs so that they can progress through the exercises at a good pace. Depending on the treatment goals, couples may progress through the tasks within 12-14 weeks (if they find time to engage in one communication, one touching, and one educational experience per week). Couples can also choose to do a sexual retraining weekend intensive or a week-long accelerated retraining instead of weekly sessions.
Q: In our previous treatment we were advised to stay sexually abstinent as my partner recovered from sexual addiction but we are ready to get develop our sex life after recovery. How will you work with us?
A: If you sought treatment for sexual addiction, I use the Sexual Reintegration Approach that is one of the 30 Tasks that were developed by Dr. Patrick Carnes. Depending on the specifics of the sexual addictive behavior that you (and/or your partner) has worked on, we will adjust the sex therapy process to match your intimacy exercises with the treatment goals that you embarked on for your sexual addiction. I will be able to determine this upon your completion of the intake process.
Q: We really like our therapist but he/she is not trained in sex therapy. Can you work with all of us?
A: Yes! I work with you (the individual or the couple) and your therapist. You will need to sign the authorization to release information form so that I can confer with your therapist. This will allow me to guide you through the sexual retraining tasks while your referring therapist can remain the point of reference for a more in depth work of the topics that arise from the sexual retraining tasks.
Q: What should I expect when I contact you?
A: If you contact me I will ask you to complete the intake forms: New clients complete forms 1-7 (for office visits), form 8 (if sessions via Skype/FaceTime/VSEE or phone), and form 9 if I am to speak with the client’s other health are provider. Clients are asked to return the completed forms prior to our first meeting.
If you don’t have enough time to complete it or prefer meeting in person to discuss the information, we will complete the forms together during your assessment sessions.
With couples, I usually spend one session individually to go over one partner’s intake forms, one individual session to go over the
other partner’s intake forms, and a third session to provide joint feedback and to map out the couple’s treatment goals.
Q: What is your availability?
A: I offer meetings in Laguna Niguel, usually Mondays through Saturdays. I also offer Skype or FaceTime sessions on Mondays through Thursdays (7:45 p.m. and 9 p.m.).
