Sex Therapy in New York
Sex therapy in New York for individuals and partners experiencing concerns around desire, intimacy or sexual connection
Sex is rarely just about sex.
When intimacy becomes a source of dread rather than desire, when partners feel like they're speaking different sexual languages, or when shame has quietly taken up residence in the bedroom — the problem usually isn't technical. It's embedded in how each person was taught to think about their own body, what they feel entitled to want, and what it means about them when they don't get it.
That's where sex therapy begins.
You may be dealing with mismatched desire, performance anxiety or difficulty communicating about sex. Over time, this can lead to frustration, avoidance or disconnection in your relationship.
Our work together will include attention to both emotional and physical experience, helping you become more aware of how your body responds to sexual intimacy. You will also be given structured practices to explore between sessions, supporting change in a more direct and experiential way.
Common reasons people seek sex therapy in New York
Some clients come in with a specific concern: painful intercourse, vaginismus, difficulty with arousal or orgasm, or performance anxiety. Others aren't sure what to name it — they just know that sex has become a source of avoidance, pressure, or quiet resentment, and that they don't know how to talk about it.
Sometimes there was a period of satisfying intimacy that simply stopped, and neither person knows quite when or why. Sometimes shame — about sexual history, identity, or simply wanting what they want — sits so heavily in the room that it becomes hard to breathe.
If you and your partners are navigating differences in desire or a loss of sexual connection, I also work with those concerns specifically — you can read more about mismatched desire here.
How I approach sex therapy
I'm a clinical psychologist and NYU faculty member with specialized training in sexuality and relationships. My approach attends to both what's happening emotionally and what's happening in the body — sexual difficulties don't live only in thought patterns or communication habits; they show up physically, and treatment has to account for that. Alongside talk therapy, I often offer structured practices to try between sessions, so that change isn't only intellectual.
I also pay close attention to cultural context. The messages people receive about sex — from families, communities, religious traditions, and the cultures they've moved between — don't disappear when they walk into a therapist's office. For bicultural and immigrant clients in particular, making sense of those messages is often as important as any behavioral intervention. This is an area where my background and clinical experience are unusual among sex therapists in New York.
What we work on
Performance anxiety and sexual avoidance
Sexual shame or anxiety, including how cultural background shapes what feels permissible
Painful sex, vaginismus, or difficulty with arousal or orgasm
Communication about sex — developing language for conversations that don't blow up
Reconnecting with pleasure through mindfulness and somatic approaches
Sexual concerns specific to non-traditional relationships, including open relationships and kink
Who I work with
I see individuals and partners. I have particular experience with bicultural and multicultural clients, immigrants and expats, intercultural partners, and people in non-traditional relationship structures.
Our work focuses on understanding the patterns that shape your experience of sexual intimacy and creating space for change. We look at your communication habits, relational dynamics and individual responses to closeness and desire. The process is collaborative and tailored to your specific situation.
A note on timing
The longer these patterns go unaddressed, the more entrenched they tend to become — not because the situation is hopeless, but because avoidance compounds avoidance. I say this not to alarm, but because people often wait much longer than they need to.
Many partners also seek relationship therapy in New Yorkwhen sexual concerns are closely tied to conflict or disconnection.
You can also read here about therapy for desire mismatch and sexless relationships in New York.
For clients navigating cultural complexity, I also offer intercultural therapy in New York.
I also work with clients seeking therapy for non-traditional relationships in New York.
If you prefer to work in Turkish, learn more about Turkish-speaking therapy in New York.
You may also find it helpful to review frequently asked questions about therapy.
If any of this resonates, a free 15-minute consultation is a reasonable place to start.
Sessions are available in English and Turkish. Licensed in New York. Telehealth is available for clients in New York, Vermont, and Florida. 15-minute consult.