Sex is one of the most personal and important areas in a person's life, and seeking help for sexual challenges can feel vulnerable and scary. Finding a place to address sexual concerns that feel safe, sacred and nonjudgmental is crucial for clients to open up about their most private feelings.

A clinical sexologist is nonjudgmental about sexual issues and creates a safe and sacred space for exploring sexual feelings. A private consultation offers clients an opportunity to work at their own pace and receive personalized care for targeted, rapid progress. The following types of private consultation are available for individuals and couples:

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Sex Counseling:
Sex counseling allows individuals and couples to address sexual concerns, rehabilitate after a sexually debilitating event, or enhance sexual satisfaction.

Individual and couples counseling in sex helps you to identify your sexual goals and offers education, resources, tools and techniques to help you meet those goals and ultimately manage your own sexual growth. The process entails the following steps:

This is considered “brief therapy,” which is rapid and goal-oriented couseling. If sexual difficulties appear to be rooted in deeper issues that require intensive therapy, I (Dr. Heather Howard) will refer you to a therapist. If I feel that you require medical attention before or during your work with me, I will do my best to provide a referral. 

All of the work in private sessions is done through verbal communcation. If experiential modalities are desired, I can facilitate guided meditation, Voice Dialogue and Body Dialogue. I do not practice modalities that include touch, and you will remain clothed in all of your private sessions.  There may be exercises in which you will practice non-sexual touch with your partner during a session, if it is appropriate.  All sexual touch between you and your partner will take place during home-play assignments and we will review your assignments in the following clinical sessions.

If you ever require a hands-on approach, I will provide you with a referral to a qualified practitioner.

Clinical work is done in 60-minute or 90-minute sessions. Clients who seek experiential techniques for mind-body reintegration prefer 90-minute sessions. Please see the Payment Information page for rates.
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Sexual Rehabilitation Program:
This program is designed for couples who have experienced sexual challenges related to health conditions such as pelvic or sexual pain, chronic pain, or limited mobility. You will achieve reduced fear of pain, improved sexual confidence, and satisfying sexual activities for both partners.

You are your partner can come for a series of private clinical sessions to identify your goals and design your customized plan and then follow through with the plan through home-based assignments and with short sessions over the phone or Skype.

Your initial clinical series can be done in an intensive manner or can be spread out over a period of time. At the end of the clinical series, you and your partner will have an understanding of your current and desired sexual patterns, the best approach to teamwork based on your communication styles, and a plan for achieving your goals through home-based exercises.  Perceived obstacles to progress such as fear, pain, shame, frustration, feeling incomplete or dysfunctional as a partner, will be identified and addressed in the program. 

Follow-up phone or Skype sessions will provide you with support and encouragement while you are performing your home-based treatments or exercises, and will provide me with the information required to design subsequent exercises. 

How does the program work?   What happens during a session?
I will work collaboratively with you and your partner to help each of you as individuals and as a team to better understand your bodies, your partnership, and your sexual needs and desires.  Through education and assignments geared towards meeting your sexual goals, your sexual confidence and competence will increase and you will be empowered with information and tools necessary to manage your own care and improvement.  You will also better understand your partner and have tools for communicating your needs on an ongoing basis.

The way this works is we figure out what feels safe, comfortable and pleasurable now.  Then we expand your zone of safety, comfort and pleasure. The following are the steps we will take during your initial clinical sessions:

The short-term steps mentioned in # 5 will be implemented through home-play assignments and follow-up telephone or Skype sessions. Follow-up sessions offer support with the process, keep you on track towards meeting your long-term goals, and allow me to gauge your short-term progress in order to ensure your homeplay assignments are designed appropriately.

Rates start at $925 for an initial 30-minute phone call, 6 hours of private consultation, and 3 weekly 30-minute follow-up calls. All programs are customized and rates depend on the number of hours required for treatment. Please contact The Center for Sexual Pain and Rehabilitation for more information.
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Product Education Consultation:
Pleasure tools and products that enable sexual positioning or provide pain relief are becoming increasingly sophisticated and expensive. Even expert buyers (like me) require tutorials on new products from the designers and manufacturers, as products are no longer self-explanatory and often contain hidden pleasure-enhancing functions and features. Learning by trial and error that the products you selected were not designed to meet your needs can be a big investement at best, and impede your health and healing progress at worst.

If you have vulvar pain, sensitive skin or are susceptible to vaginal infections, learning about materials, ingredients, design and function will be especially important for you. If you have limited mobility or experience other types of pain, finding products that help you maintain sexual positions and reduce pain can enhance your sexual satisfaction and that of your partner. If you are perfectly healthy and are simply seeking products that deliver what they promise so that you don't end up with a nightstand full of expensive junk, I can help you, too!

I am a sex educator and a product designer, so I will use this product consultation time to help you define what it is you are looking for, to educate you about what you should be seeking, and to recommend products or designs that could meet your needs. I may carry them in my product line already and you are welcome to purchase them from me or to search for them elsewhere. If I don't stock them regularly, I may be able to find them for you. If I can't find them, I can tell you what to look for. Perhaps it hasn't been made yet and I will find it later or find a way to get it made for you—the possibilities are endless.

I went on a mission to seek out and select what I consider to be the best available products in terms of materials, ingredients, design and function, and offer those to my clients. While sexual satisfaction is a trial-and-error proposition and finding the perfect toy can be an iterative process, I can help you become an expert purchaser for yourself and point you in the right direction for your next adventure.

Consultations for Product Selection take place over the phone and advanced scheduling is recommended. You are also welcome to ask questions about products in clinical sessions, but advanced notice will ensure that I will have samples for you to see. Please see the Payment Information page for rates.

If you live in the Bay Area and would like to share the wealth and treat your friends to a tutorial in the world of pleasure and pleasure devices, consider hosting a pleasure education party and give your friends the gift of knowledge and sexual enrichment.. If you are a healthcare practitioner or professional, consider hosting a pleasure education workshop for your clients.
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