I am passionate about helping individuals and couples experience meaningful and authentic connections. Feeling emotionally disconnected from our partner, especially when the challenges are sexual in nature, can become increasingly difficult over time. Overcoming the emotional blocks preventing authenticity and sexual intimacy is an essential part of our process. As we identify the protective mechanisms fueling reactive, negative behavior patterns, we become free to communicate our needs with an open heart, fostering responsiveness and true intimacy.
By creating a safe and nonjudgmental space, I will help you gain the insight needed to create new, constructive communication patterns. As you begin to feel seen, heard and valued by your partner, you will experience more connection, passion and pleasure in your relationships, and in your life in general.
As a Sex and Relationship Therapist, I specialize in helping couples recover from infidelity, negotiate desire discrepancies including hypo (low) and hyper (high) sexual desire (which may be experienced as compulsive sexual urges and behaviors, commonly referred to as sex addiction), sexual functioning challenges (erectile dysfunction, early ejaculation, sexual pain, vaginismus, etc.). I also help those struggling with performance anxiety, infertility, postpartum sexuality, increasing sexual self-confidence, working with non-conventional relationship configurations (poly, open, etc.), LGBTQIA challenges, healing sexual trauma and cultivating eroticism, both within oneself and within relationships.
My therapeutic process involves Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), both of which are empirically proven therapeutic modalities to increase self-awareness, improve emotional intimacy and strengthen relationships.
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST). Prior to becoming a therapist, I received a Masters of Arts in Teaching and taught professionally for ten years. I have received advanced, intensive training in EFT, IFIO and IFS.
To contact me directly, call 480-227-8626 or e-mail barbara@scottsdalesextherapy.com.