Certified Sex & Couples Therapist · LCSW
I'm Paula Kirsch, an LCSW and Certified Sex Therapist working with individuals and couples in NY, CT, and MI on the things that are hardest to bring up.
Some things are hard to say.
That's exactly
what this work is for.
Sex therapy and couples work for people ready to stop going in circles.
Whether you're dealing with desire discrepancy, painful sex, communication breakdown, infidelity, or something you haven't quite put words to yet, I work with individuals and couples across a wide range of relationship structures, including LGBTQ+, ENM, kink-aware, and beyond. Telehealth in New York, Connecticut, and Michigan.
Paula Kirsch
LCSW, CST · PhD Student, MSTI
- Certified Sex Therapist (IBOSP & IAPST)
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Gottman Trained, Level II
- Brainspotting Trained
- PhD Student in Sexology, MSTI
What I Work With
The things people find hardest to talk about.
01
Sex Therapy
For desire discrepancy, vaginismus, painful sex, sexual trauma, low libido, intimacy avoidance, and questions about identity or orientation. This is specialized work, not a checkbox on a generalist's list.
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Couples Therapy
For trust that's been broken, communication that's broken down, or a relationship that's good but could be better. Gottman Method informed, and focused on what actually needs to change.
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LGBTQ+, Kink & Polyam Affirming
Your relationship structure and identity are not a detour we have to take before the real work. They are the starting point. LGBTQ+, kink, ENM, polyamorous, mixed-orientation: all part of the everyday practice here.
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Women's Sexual Health
For women dealing with sexual pain, vaginismus, low desire, arousal difficulties, or intimacy changes after medical events or hormonal shifts. Often coordinated with OB/GYN referrals for integrated care.
Learn MoreAbout Paula
The work I do asks people to be honest about hard things.
"The least I can do is bring real expertise to that conversation."
I'm Paula Kirsch, a Certified Sex Therapist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and PhD student in sexology at MSTI. I specialize in sex therapy, couples work, and the full range of relationship dynamics.
People come to me after they've tried to handle something on their own for too long, or after other forms of therapy touched the edges of it but didn't go deep enough. I don't flinch at complexity, and I don't need you to make the conversation easier for me.
How I Work
The tools behind the sessions.
Gottman Method
Empirically validated couples work focused on trust, friendship, and learning to work through conflict without making things worse.
Brainspotting
Brain-body trauma processing that reaches what conversation alone often cannot. My preferred modality for deep, lasting change.
Logotherapy
Rooted in Viktor Frankl's work: the belief that a sense of meaning larger than ourselves is one of the most powerful forces for healing. Not a way around your pain, but a reason to move through it.
Current Sexology Research
Grounded in what the field actually knows now, not outdated frameworks. I stay current because the research keeps moving and my clients deserve that.
Telehealth Practice
Private, secure sessions
from your home.
No commute, no waiting room. All sessions via a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform in three states.
New York
All sessions are virtual and fully confidential. For this kind of work, being in your own space tends to make the conversation easier, not harder.
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Connecticut
Licensed in CT, with clients across the state from Fairfield County to Hartford and beyond. Telehealth means geography is not a barrier.
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Michigan
Licensed in Michigan offering specialized sex therapy, couples therapy, and LGBTQ+ affirming care across the state.
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From the Practice
What I'm thinking about.
Women's Sexual Health
Postpartum Intimacy & Identity Shifts: Body, Desire, and Relationship After Birth
Women's Sexual Health
Understanding HSDD: When Low Desire Is More Than a Prescription Can Fix
From the Practice
Explore All Articles from the Practice
Ready?
This is where you start.
You've probably been sitting with this for a while. The first session is a real appointment, not a consultation call. We start from where you are, and we go from there.