Marty Klein Ph.D.

About

Marty Klein, Ph.D., has been a sex therapist and licensed marriage and family therapist in Palo Alto, California for over 40 years. He works with men, women, and couples on issues of anger, guilt, and shame, as well as orgasm, erection, fantasies, desire, S/M, pornography, and infidelity.

Dr. Klein is the award-winning author of seven books on sexuality and relationships. He frequently appears in the popular media, including in The New York Times, National Public Radio, The New Yorker, and The Daily Show. He is outspoken about many popular and clinical ideas about sexuality, decrying psychology’s gender stereotypes, sex-negativity, and what he calls “narratives of powerlessness.” He is one of America’s best-known voices opposing the dangerous concepts of “sex addiction” and "porn addiction."

Dr. Klein has been honored by the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality; the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, & Therapists; the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health; and the California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists. Each year he trains thousands of physicians, psychologists, and social workers across North America, Europe, and Asia. Audiences consistently call his talks thought-provoking, challenging, and entertaining.

Dr. Klein is called upon as an expert witness in federal and state courts each year, typically in cases regarding pornography, fantasy & role-play, sexual desire & decision-making, and sexual behavior. His book America’s War On Sex was honored as the best sexuality book of the year by the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, & Therapists, and is required reading in several universities and law schools. His new book is His Porn, Her Pain: Confronting America's PornPanic With Honest Talk About Sex; it, too, is required reading in several universities.

Dr. Klein recently gave two Congressional briefings on evidence-based sex education. His website is www.SexEd.org.

Books by Marty Klein Ph.D.

Recent Posts

Sexual Desire: Therapy's Dirty Little Secret

Therapists know a few things about desire—mostly, what diminishes it. We also know the experience of desire changes as we age. But there's a lot about desire we don't understand.

Sexual Products and Therapies That People Don't Use Enough

Many consumer products and services make sex safer and more enjoyable. But many people don't use them—they're embarrassed, confused, or won't admit their interest in such things.

Is Your Therapist Giving You Bad Sex Advice?

Your therapist probably received almost no training in sexuality. Western culture is full of fear and misinformation regarding sex—which your therapist may have absorbed.

Sexual Shame: A Bigger Problem Than Any Dysfunction

In a first therapy session, when clients are asked what they want to accomplish, they may mention fantasies or desire, but rarely, “I want to feel less shame.”

The Contradictions of Self-Pleasuring

While more than half of adults around the world masturbate, cultural taboos, religious instruction, and personal shame can make enjoying it difficult. Does it matter?

Saying 'No' Does Not Equal 'Low Desire'

Desire discrepancy is a common presenting problem. One person may feel pressured, while the other takes sexual rejection personally. How do we keep from pathologizing either one?

Orgasm Gap? It's More Complicated Than That

When a man and woman have sex together, she is less likely to orgasm than he is. While couples should discuss this fact, orgasm is not the best way to measure sexual experience.

Arguments About Porn Aren't About Porn

Many couples argue about pornography—one partner wanting the other to stop watching it. Arguing over this "solution" distracts couples from discussing the actual emotional issues.

Ethical Dilemmas in Sex Therapy

Sex therapists face ethical dilemmas every week—and many have nothing to do with sex. Most therapists get insufficient training about the difficult real-world decisions we face.

Do You Want to Tell the Government You Watch Porn?

By year's end, more than half of all Americans will live in states that require them to prove they’re adults in order to access most legal porn sites. That may include you.