WHAT IS ONE BOOK THAT HAS REALLY INFLUENCED YOUR WORK AS A COUPLES & SEX THERAPIST?

When thinking of this question, I keep coming back to How to Be Sick and its sequel, How to Live Well with Chronic Pain and Illness. These books explore the common experiences of being—and loving—someone with chronic health issues. Our bodies are a big part of our relationships, and working with their limitations is an important skill for us to hone throughout our lives.

HOW WOULD YOUR CLIENTS DESCRIBE YOU?

Open, curious, calm, and grounded.

WHEN YOU’RE NOT AT YOUR THERAPY DESK, WHAT CAN WE FIND YOU DOING?

You can find me wandering around outside, making art, or doing home projects.

RJ’s Full Biography

Bodies are wonderful…and complicated. Perhaps you’re having trouble feeling aroused when you want to, or maybe pain interrupts sexy time. Or it could be that something from your past or future keeps distracting you when you want to be truly present with your loved ones. Whatever is troubling you, we’ll explore it with fresh eyes and work together to move forward.

My approach to counseling is centered on somatic and experiential techniques, where we strengthen the mind-body connection and process emotions that may have gotten stuck along the way. We’ll also pay attention to the here-and-now experience of the therapeutic relationship, using it to examine communication patterns and play with ways to tweak them to better serve you.

Before my career transition to counseling, I studied political science at Brigham Young University and law at Georgetown. I then did public interest work for over a decade. More recently I've volunteered as a crisis counselor, peer support for a psychedelic harm reduction organization, and an art class assistant. Supporting people through emotional turmoil and helping them find their joy are both important to me.

I bring a neurodiversity-, queer-, trans-, disability-, polyamory-, and kink-affirming lens to my practice, and I’m committed to meeting you where you are—with all your unique and beautiful complexity. With a personal background shaped by diverse religious experiences, including Mormon, Southern Baptist, and Buddhist traditions, I’m particularly equipped to support clients navigating religious trauma and related challenges. I warmly welcome individuals of all cultural identities who are seeking support around relationships, sexuality, and other life experiences. I look forward to working with you!