About Me

Connecting with others has been my
passion all of my life.

My own personal relationships with my
husband and children, my family and
friends are enormously important to me.

In my professional life as a therapist, a researcher
author, and teacher, I’ve also focused on relationships and on families -
couples and sexual intimacy. And my approach to psychotherapy
is psychodynamic and emphasizes the client’s close relationships in the present
and the past.

I also use cognitive behavioral and other approaches, depending on the client’s needs.

I’ve published many books and articles on love and family life, including “Love in America“ and “Marital Conflict over Intimacy.“ And I’ve taught college classes and community workshops on family life in different cultures, women’s changing roles, sexuality for younger and older people, and sexual assault

My education, training and research have made me an expert on close relationships. I earned my Ph.D. in Sociology at Harvard University, where I did research on affection and power in Maya Indian families in Mexico.

Then I became a professor for many decades at Cornell University, Stanford University and the University
of California at Irvine. Later, I went back to school, to Pepperdine University, to get an M.A. in Clinical  Psychology and became a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I was then trained in sex therapy to become a Certified Sex Therapist in the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists. I am currently being trained in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy.

Being a therapist is a delight for me. Connecting with clients and helping them understand and improve their relationships is what I love to do.