Sex-Positive, Kink Allied Therapists in Bethesda, MD

Zack Berman believes that great therapeutic outcomes start with a strong therapeutic alliance. His style is warm and candid, inviting clients into an environment where they can be authentically themselves. Zack offers his clients an affirming, improvisational space in which they can feel safe to express uncomfortable truths and begin to play with new solutions. He often collaborates with clients on impromptu experiential exercises, utilizing a strengths-based stance to empower them to reach their goals.

Faith Ferber has a passion for helping people achieve their goals and live a happy and fulfilling life. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Rutgers University with a certificate in Violence Against Women and Children and Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from American University. She has several years of experience working with survivors of sexual and domestic violence, as well as experience working with people struggling with anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, and substance abuse. She focuses on issues surrounding human sexuality.

Through psychotherapy, every person has the capacity to grow and change and live the life they’ve always imagined. I can help you recognize and alter patterns in your life, develop new skills to enhance your relationships with family, friends, and partners, and move toward greater joy and personal fulfillment. I specialize in treating individuals and couples with issue of anxiety & depression, low self-esteem, postpartum depression, parenting issues, sexual & physical abuse, domestic violence, trauma, and work-related stress. I also specialize in working with women who are in unhappy marriages and are contemplating divorce.

I am passionate about working with the LGBTQ population and with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. I consistently work with clients regarding depression, anxiety, motivation, trauma, grief, understanding their identity, familial relations, gender identity, sexual identity, sexual/relationship needs, polyamorous relationships, kink , communication in relationships, and self-integration. Extensive background in working with people of color. Assist parents/families through their child's gender transition. Experience in college counseling and high school counseling.

As you’re looking for a therapist, it’s important to find someone you feel comfortable opening up to, and maybe even sharing aspects of your life that are hard to discuss. My clients often go there with me quickly; they can tell that I will be warm, supportive, nonjudgmental, and honor their trust. My approach to therapy is multicultural, LGBTQ+ affirming, sex/ kink positive, and I have a background working with first gen people. Clients who want to better understand and express their emotions have found therapy with me helpful for learning communication and skills they weren’t taught growing up.

Relationships and intimacy require work and attention – as an experienced counselor, I’d like to help you with that work, building a road to a more fulfilled life. If you are interested in learning more about developing stronger emotional connections with yourself and/or your partner(s); exploring ethical non-monogamy and kink ; stimulating love and desire; building communication skills around sex and intimacy; and/or exploring sexual confidence, eroticism, and self-esteem these are areas of focus for me and I would like to invite you to meet with me for a free, thirty-minute consultation. Contact me to schedule your appointment.

*Currently accepting new clients at Darby Integrative Counseling, LLC, and we are offering in-person and/or video sessions to accommodate your needs during the COVID crisis.* We welcome you to the next courageous step on your journey walking through life's challenges. Are you struggling with fear, grief, sadness, anxiety, or stress? Have anger, shame or guilt been preventing you from the joys of life? Do your relationships at home or work feel strained? Let us awaken your best self and find solutions for the problems you face on your path to wellness.

I love working with couples and individuals with difficulty in romantic relationships (i.e. sexual issues, communication, infidelity, divorce), adults who come from dysfunctional childhoods, as well as those with anxiety, impulsivity, and addiction. I also enjoy working with those in non-traditional romantic relationships (i.e. ethically non-monogamous, polyamorous). I am LGBTQIA- affirming and sex positive . I work best with clients who are engaged, thoughtful, and motivated for change. My style is empathic and direct, with a sense of humor. I believe strongly in the therapeutic alliance and the client/therapist fit.

As a sex therapist, I specialize in treating all sexual issues. These often include relationship challenges and sexual problems such as lack of desire/low libido, difficulty with arousal, erections, premature ejaculation and trouble reaching orgasm. Anxiety about sexual performance, lost intimacy, sexual abuse, infidelity, menopause, illness and aging can also interfere with sexual satisfaction. Sex therapy may address problematic or illegal sexual behaviors, sexual compulsivity, paraphilias and fetishes. Clients can benefit from exploring issues surrounding sexual orientation, gender identity, asexuality, polyamory and kink .

*Available* Are you feeling stuck or unsettled? Perhaps your teen or tween is going through a difficult time? Maybe your relationship could use some extra support? Please know that you don’t have to do it alone. I would like to help! From stressed and anxious adults to teens and tweens grappling with dysphoria, anxiety, peer conflict, and more I am happy to offer support to those in need of my service. I am also available to help couples with a variety of concerns such as communication errors, healing from broken trust, and strengthening intimacy all from a neutral, nonjudgemental, sex positive and gender affirming perspective.

I am dedicated in helping my clients achieve the goals they wish to accomplish. I use interventions that offer not only symptom relief, but also a means to improve emotional connections to the individual and others. I have over 16 years of experience in treating LGBTQIA populations, depression, sexual health related issues, anxiety disorders, PTSD, bipolar disorder, chronic pain and other medical/ health Issues. I offer telehealth and in-person psychotherapy and sex therapy. I am at my VA location the 2nd and 4th Monday and Tuesday of each month. Please contact me for a free 15 minute consultation and to discuss fees for services.

Seeking to improve our relationship with ourselves and others can feel uncertain and overwhelming. As a therapist, I strive to remove barriers by providing an open, trusting, and nonjudgmental space where self-acceptance and healing can be fostered for individuals and partnerships. Difficulties such as life transitions, relationship challenges, trauma, or unexpected events can leave us feeling disconnected and isolated. Through the collaborative experience of therapy, couples, polycules, or triads can find renewed, deeper bonds and individuals can untangle the past, process the current, and grow through supportive change.

Feeling different? Do you have a sense that people don’t get you? Do you travel a different path than everybody else? Are you living your life very differently from what other people expect you to? Life can be tough when you feel different. Different can also mean isolated, lonely, and misunderstood. But you can be different and still fit in. That's where I can help.

Welcome! I specialize in eating disorders, disordered relationships with food and movement, body image, substance use, and relationship issues. I am equally passionate about cultural humility and competence in psychotherapy—especially for members of marginalized communities—as well as LGBTQIA+ issues. I use a Non-Diet, Health at Every Size (HAES) approach to recovery from eating disorders and disordered eating. I have extensive experience working with eating disorder and substance use patients with a wide range of co-occurring diagnoses, and at all levels of care.

Do you need help with depression or anxiety? Are you struggling to recover from grief or loss? Have you experienced trauma? I would like the chance to listen to your story and help you build resilience and confidence. Instead of over-focusing on what's difficult in your life, we will work on developing your strengths and building on your best qualities. By finding and enhancing your inner resources you can better manage stress, depression, and the challenges that life presents. You can develop the positive-thinking skills that will help you manage better. We will develop your own step by step action plan to make change happen.