I had been a nurse practitioner in acute care for about 10 years when I met a woman who told me that she had terrible pain with sex. She described it as feeling like "razor blades in her vagina," and I was shocked. She went on to say that she had talked to her doctor about it and no one was really helping her.   

I thought, "how could this be? how could something so profound be ignored?" But then I thought more about my own experience and that of my friends, I knew that doctors (and even nurse practitioners) weren't always all that helpful when it came to women's health, especially if it had anything to do with sex. And I knew it wasn't ok.

Somehow that woman stayed in my mind and I couldn't let it go. I knew that medicine was failing women and I knew I could do better.

At that same time, I had been through my own personal struggle with sexuality--trying to figure out why desire vanished in long term relationships, why I struggled with orgasm in partnered sex, and how to create an authentic sexuality. Along the way, I had learned a lot. Most importantly, I learned that I wasn't alone and that there was a whole world of sexual research, science and magic that could help other people just like it helped me.  

So I had an epiphany of sorts, like a download from the universe, "Go forth, young woman, and help women with sex!"  As I am not one to ignore wise counsel, this is just what I did.  I started at the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH)'s Fall Course and haven't looked back. 

Though the way to make this work a reality was never clear, somehow a door always opened. As I was finishing my doctorate, I had the good fortune to to be asked to create a holistic women's health clinic where I practiced sexual medicine and general women's health. Ultimately, I went on to open my own private practice where I can do this work outside of the constraints of the standard medical model. This work has transformed my life and I am deeply grateful for every woman who has shared their story with me. 

All of my work has sprung from this initial insight, "Women deserve real help with sex because it freakin' matters." It also stems from a simmering rage that women are ignored and suffer in silence. But this just doesn't happen for sex concerns...

This is where menopause comes into the story. One of my dearest friends began to talk to me about her menopausal symptoms and how they had been ignored for years. The more we talked, the more I felt that familiar 

shock and rage, "Why aren't we doing better?" I knew that there were treatments that could work for her and a mountain of scientific data to support it. So I added menopause to my repertoire, becoming certified in menopausal medicine. I have gone on to treat hundreds of menopausal women with evidence-based, compassionate care. Because it matters! Because they all deserve better and you do, too.

But this story is more than just about women's health, people of all genders feel stuck in their sex lives at times and need real support. Over time I have expanded my work to include services for all folks who are looking for help with sexuality concerns.  

While I am proud to be able to offer sexual medicine services, I found over time that real sexual healing needs so much more.  I have gone on to become an AASECT Certified Sex Counselor and continue to study embodied counseling/coaching modalities such as Somatic Experiencing, Inner Relationship Focusing, and Relational Life Therapy. I now I offer counseling/coaching for individuals and couples (or folks of other relationship orientations) looking to get their mojo back and create the passionate sex lives they have longed for.