Couple embracing after sex and intimacy therapist provided expert sex therapy for renewed physical connection

Intimacy & Sex Therapy in Los Angeles

20 + YEARS COUNSELING COUPLES
Become better partners.

LOS ANGELES SEX THERAPY

Rekindle The Romance.

You miss your partner. The mental load, mounting resentments, and the pace of Los Angeles life can make intimacy feel like a chore. No matter what you do, the same fights keep pushing you apart.

Sex therapy in Los Angeles can help you rebuild trust, improve communication, and reignite the spark that brought you together in the first place.

Family bonding after parents completed sex and intimacy therapy with expert sex therapist guidance
Happy couple after sex therapy and intimacy therapy sessions restored their couples sex therapy success

Feel Close Again

Get tools for intimacy difficulties.

DEBBIE CHERRY

EXPERIENCED SEX THERAPIST FOR LA COUPLES

Re-Awaken Your Feelings Of Aliveness.

Whether you live in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, or anywhere across Southern California, sex therapy offers flexible scheduling, weekend appointments, and practical tools to lower defenses, improve emotional intimacy, and explore healthy sexuality through a sex-positive lens.
Debbie Cherry, LMFT sex and intimacy therapist providing intimacy therapy for couples and sex therapy
Success couple after sex therapy and sex counseling sessions with expert sex therapist for intimacy

DEBBIE
CHERRY, LMFT

CALIFORNIA SEX & RELATIONSHIP THERAPIST

One of the most eye-opening lessons I learned in graduate school at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles was this: The biggest factor in a client’s success isn’t the type of therapy, the technique, or even the duration. It’s the strength of the therapeutic relationship.

Don’t let old patterns and past experiences stand between you & your partner. Intimacy & sex therapy will support you to be open and free without fear of rejection. Book a introductory call to start reconnecting with your partner today.

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Successful Couples
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Start Growing Closer...

My husband now wants to cuddle and we are enjoying a lot more physical contact naturally. Because we are closer now, we are having more sex!

– NEW PARENTS IN CALIFORNIA
Loving couple after sex counseling and couples sex therapy restored intimacy with sex therapist help
Partners reconnected through couples sex therapy and sex therapy for couples with expert sex therapist

REBUILD TRUST & INTIMACY WITH COUPLES THERAPY IN LA

Improve Your Sex Life.

Reigniting the passion in your partnership doesn’t require grand gestures or dramatic changes. It’s about small, everyday HABITS that nurture emotional connection, intimacy and a deeper understanding.
Get back to enjoying peaceful walks along Santa Monica Pier or cozy evenings together, free from emotional stress. Book a 15-minute call to see how sex therapy in CA can help you strengthen your bond, no matter how disconnected you may feel.
Intimate couple after sex therapy for couples and intimacy therapy sessions improved their connection

We’re more authentically connected for the 1st time in our entire relationship, and the entire culture of our family is happier and joyful!

– MARRIED ENTREPRENEURS IN CA

Reconnect with Your Partner With Trust Building Activities Couples Love.

Couple celebrating after working with sex therapist for sex and intimacy therapy relationship healing
Woman and partner after sex therapy for women and couples sex therapy addressed intimacy concerns

EXPERT SEX THERAPY FOR AMBITIOUS LA COUPLES

Solutions For Sexual Problems.

GROW CLOSER WITH INTIMACY & SEX THERAPY

When life in Los Angeles moves fast, your relationship can start to feel like just another task on your to-do list. You used to feel that rush of excitement when you saw each other… maybe on date nights in Silver Lake or weekend getaways to Malibu, but now you feel more like roommates.

Evidence-based sex therapy and relationship counseling can help you become stronger partners… even if your week is packed with school pickups, creative projects, or meetings in Beverly Hills. Reconnect from wherever you are in Southern California.

Being playful and having fun again would be amazing. You want to get the spark back, yet the defenses win almost every time. Bring back the ease, connection, and desire that once felt effortless. The idea of losing each other is heartbreaking. Life is better together.

Intimacy & Sex Therapy Approaches

TAP THE TECHNIQUE TO LEARN ABOUT GROWING CLOSER

ATTACHMENT-BASED COUPLES THERAPY

Attachment-based couples therapy helps couples understand the reasons for the painful patterns, address attachment needs, and build a secure bond that lasts.

THE GOTTMAN METHOD

The Gottman Method is a research-based approach that helps partners improve communication, deepen emotional connection, and handle conflict with greater ease.

EMOTIONALLY FOCUSED THERAPY

EFT helps couples communicate effectively about the core of emotional disconnection, fostering a deeper understanding of each other’s needs and vulnerabilities for greater empathy.

NARRATIVE THERAPY FOR COUPLES

Narrative Therapy helps partners break free from cycles of blame or hopelessness by focusing on how couples talk about and interpret their relationship.

IMAGO RELATIONSHIP THERAPY

Imago Therapy helps couples uncover the root of their relationship challenges by exploring how past experiences shapes their connection today so they can become better partners.

Psychobiological Couples Therapy

Psychobiological Couples Therapy empowers couples to break free from cycles of blame or shame by implementing daily research-based habits that bring them closer.
“WE STOPPED HIDING OUT, AND ARE BEING MORE LOVING TOWARDS EACH OTHER.”
– QUEER COUPLE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

INTIMACY DIFFICULTIES
Can Damage a Relationship

Whether you are struggling with desire discrepancy, an emotional affair or just feel like ships passing in the night, intimacy skills and sex therapy can help you grow closer.
Reconnect with your partner.
Joyful couple after intimacy therapy and sex therapy sessions with expert sex and intimacy therapist

BECOME BETTER PARTNERS

Create a Secure Partnership with Intimacy & Sex Therapy in Los Angeles

Married. Engaged. Long-term committed. Straight. Bi. Gay. Neurodivergent. Polyamorous.

Improve your bond no matter what your relationship looks like.

COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY

A couple engaged in healthy dialogue after transformative communication therapy sessions for a better, healthier relationship

RESOLVE RESENTMENTS

A couple embracing peacefully after successful conflict resolution therapy sessions for lasting harmony
“WE STOPPED HIDING OUT, AND ARE BEING MORE LOVING TOWARDS EACH OTHER.”

– QUEER COUPLE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

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Build a deeper connection...

(no matter how disconnected you feel).
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Secure Couplehood Blog

GET ACTIONABLE STEPS TO BECOME BETTER PARTNERS

DEBBIE CHERRY, LMFT

use the SAFE tool to resolve couples conflicts and reconnect
use the seen method to learn how to stop arguing with your partner
Communication activity for couples to practice how to talk to each other better
Relationship therapist near me offering simple steps to communicate better for free consultation and expert guidance

GET SIMPLE STEPS TO COMMUNICATE BETTER FOR FREE

SIMPLE STEPS TO COMMUNICATE BETTER FOR FREE

INTIMACY AND SEX THERAPY in Los Angeles Faqs

View All Frequently Asked Questions Here.

EFFECTIVENESS OF SEX THERAPY IN LOS ANGELES

Sex therapy offers an affirming space to help individuals and couples explore sexuality, sexual intimacy, and communication in a safe and supportive environment with a licensed relationship therapist. Together, we address sexual behaviors, sexual concerns, and relationship challenges such as desire discrepancy, diminished interest, or performance anxiety that affect emotional intimacy and connection.

Through a compassionate, non-judgmental, and sex-positive therapeutic process, I integrate emotionally focused therapy, somatic practices, and the latest cutting-edge modalities to help you gain self-awareness, heal from sexual shame, body image struggles, or religious trauma, and build healthier intimate lives that support both mental health and relational wellness.

Whether you’re working through erectile dysfunction, painful intercourse, or chronic pain, or exploring sexuality within the kink community or ethical non-monogamy, sex therapy can help you improve communication, deepen attachment, and rediscover healthy sexuality. It’s a supportive space where sexual health, somatic tools, and personal growth are openly discussed as intrinsic parts of well-being.

Finding the right therapist is key to healing. I offer a free 15-minute consultation for new clients who want to learn more about working together in Los Angeles.

Yes. I provide secure, confidential online therapy sessions throughout Los Angeles. Online sex therapy allows you to explore intimacy and sexuality at your own pace, in a comfortable and non-judgmental space.

Research shows that online therapy is just as effective as in-person care. Many clients — including women balancing work, relationships, and family life — find that being in their own home reduces anxiety and allows more honest conversations about sexual health, gender identity, and emotional intimacy.

Therapy offers a supportive environment where cultural identity, personal beliefs, and underlying issues can be openly discussed with compassion and respect.

Individuals and couples seek sex therapy for a wide range of concerns, including:

  • Mismatched sexual desire, sexual dysfunction or self esteem issues
  • Healing from sexual abuse or religious trauma
  • Managing erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, or painful intercourse
  • Navigating sexual shame, body image issues, or diminished interest
  • Exploring LGBTQ identity, poly relationships, nontraditional structures, or life transitions
  • Working through porn addiction, sex addiction, or extramarital affairs
  • Building healthy sexuality after postpartum changes or chronic pain

Many therapists create a safe space to address symptoms, but sex therapy looks at deeper relationship patterns and emotional connection. Together, we create a non-judgmental space to practice effective communication, rebuild trust, and strengthen relational wellness.

General counseling explores overall mental health, while sex therapy focuses specifically on sexual health, intimacy, and the emotional and physical aspects of sexuality. It combines talk therapy, clinical psychology, and somatic tools to help you understand your experiences on every level — mental, emotional, and physical.

Unlike general counseling, sex therapy provides a safe environment to strengthen communication skills, explore healthy sexuality, and build intimacy that honors your values and body. You’ll learn strategies for conflict resolution, self-awareness, and relational healing that support lasting change in your intimate relationships.

Ready to explore your next step? Build a deeper connection, improve communication, and rediscover pleasure. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation today.

Many couples have tried therapy that felt like “just talking.” My approach is active and holistic — integrating emotionally focused therapy, body-based healing, and somatic practices designed to resolve sexual shame, emotional blocks, and physical discomfort.

Sex therapy in Los Angeles is grounded in compassion, social justice values, and cultural sensitivity. Together, we’ll explore your relationship dynamics, attachment patterns, and underlying issues that contribute to disconnection.

Each intimate relationship is unique. Whether you’re navigating sexual behaviors, modern life stress, or cultural identity challenges, this process helps you rediscover hope and connection.

Every relationship is different. Some clients experience progress in just a few sessions; others benefit from several months of consistent therapy. Many couples begin to feel relief and renewed emotional closeness after their very first session.

For some, sex therapy provides short-term repair for specific sexual concerns. For others, it becomes an ongoing journey toward deeper intimacy, self-acceptance, and personal growth. The goal is always the same — a stronger, healthier connection and greater relational wellness.

THE PROCESS OF SEX THERAPY FOR LOS ANGELES COUPLES

Yes. I offer flexible scheduling, including weekend appointments, to support the diverse lifestyles of Los Angeles couples. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, creative professional, or caregiver, therapy can fit into your schedule and help you make space for connection, healing, and emotional balance.

In your first session, you’ll share your background, current sexual concerns, and goals for therapy. We’ll explore relationship dynamics, emotional intimacy, and any underlying issues contributing to distress.

This is a supportive environment where sexuality, identity, and personal experiences can be discussed openly and without shame. The process is collaborative, focusing on safety, empathy, and healing from the inside out.

Yes. Each session includes practical and evidence-based tools tailored to your goals. These may include:

  • Communication exercises to improve sexual connection
  • Somatic tools to manage anxiety or sexual pain
  • Journaling prompts to increase self-awareness and intimacy
  • Practices to reduce performance anxiety or sexual shame
  • Techniques to reconnect emotionally and physically

These tools help couples apply what they learn in therapy to everyday life, creating more satisfying, healthy relationships.

Absolutely. I work with clients of all genders, orientations, and cultural backgrounds. My practice is trauma informed, intersectionality affirming, queer-affirming, and inclusive of poly relationships and alternative lifestyles.

Sex therapy in Los Angeles welcomes everyone — from the kink community to those exploring spirituality, cultural identity, or social justice themes within their intimate relationships. Together, we create a supportive environment that honors who you are and what you need to thrive.

No. A licensed family therapist remains neutral and provides a non-judgmental space for both partners. The goal is to build understanding, compassion, and communication, not to assign blame.

Even when facing difficult challenges like extramarital affairs, diminished interest, or emotional withdrawal, therapy offers clarity, empathy, and direction toward healing.

No. Many couples begin sex therapy proactively — not out of crisis, but to strengthen communication, increase intimacy, and maintain a healthy relationship.

Therapy can help you rediscover closeness, reignite desire, and prevent small disconnects from becoming larger issues. Many clients describe it as learning the skills to sustain love in a fast-paced, modern world.

COSTS & INSURANCE FOR ONLINE SEX THERAPY IN LOS ANGELES

Sometimes. Insurance may cover therapy related to mental health diagnoses such as anxiety, depression, or trauma. However, sessions focused primarily on sexual health or relationship concerns are typically not covered.

Many clients choose private pay to protect privacy and keep their work focused on growth, healing, and emotional intimacy — free from medical labeling.

Sessions range from $175–$350 per 50-minute session. Most clients view therapy as an investment in their emotional well-being and long-term relationship satisfaction.

Coverage varies by provider. Some plans reimburse therapy that addresses anxiety, grief, or trauma, while others do not cover sessions centered on sexuality or relationship counseling. It’s best to confirm coverage with your insurance company before beginning therapy.

I accept credit cards, debit cards, and HSA/FSA cards. Payments are automated for your convenience and privacy.

Yes. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, I’m legally and ethically bound to confidentiality, except in rare cases related to safety. Many clients prefer private pay to ensure complete privacy for their therapy sessions.

Look for a therapist with advanced training in sexual health, emotionally focused therapy, and relational dynamics. The best fit is someone who creates a supportive, non-judgmental space where you can explore sensitive topics safely.

With 20+ years of experience counseling countless patients in Los Angeles, I’ve helped clients address sexual shame, rebuild trust, and reconnect using integrative, evidence-based methods. Therapy here is designed to restore your confidence and strengthen your bond.

PARTNER DYNAMICS AND SEX THERAPY FIT FOR LOS ANGELES COUPLES

Los Angeles couples come from every background imaginable. I honor your cultural identity, values, and beliefs as intrinsic parts of your healing process. My practice is inclusive, culturally sensitive, and grounded in respect for intersectionality.

Together, we’ll explore how cultural influences, past experiences, and social expectations shape intimacy and connection in your relationship.

Yes. I provide affirming therapy for neurodivergent individuals, nontraditional couples, and those navigating unique relationship structures. Therapy offers flexible access to tools that support connection, communication, and understanding.

Whether you’re exploring poly relationships, ethical non-monogamy, or alternative expressions of intimacy, the process helps deepen attachment and emotional safety.

That’s completely normal. Many people begin therapy on their own to understand their sexuality, process emotional pain, or explore relationship patterns before inviting their partner to join.

Therapy can help you feel more grounded, confident, and hopeful — often inspiring your partner to join once they see the change in you.

Yes. I provide affirming, inclusive therapy for LGBTQ+ clients and couples. Sessions are designed to address sexual health, body image, cultural identity, and relational challenges in a compassionate, supportive space.

That’s okay. Therapy doesn’t force a decision — it supports clarity and compassion. Whether you choose to rebuild your relationship or part ways respectfully, the goal is healing, understanding, and peace.

If there is active violence, untreated addiction, or an immediate safety concern, individual therapy or crisis intervention may be necessary before beginning couples or sex therapy.

Otherwise, this process welcomes anyone ready to explore healthy sexuality, strengthen intimacy, and grow in a supportive environment.