My husband and I have been together for more than forty years, and for the last thirty, we have…read morebeen dealing with conflict over sexual intimacy. We tried personal counseling, we tried marriage counseling, and our difficulties only persisted. This year, my husband and I decided once again to seek help. This time, we wanted to find a therapist who could listen to both sides of the sexual conflict that had become a cancer on our marriage, and somehow guide us to a place that would change our sexual relationship to the loving satisfaction we both sought. We found Dr. Anya-a sex and intimacy coach. Our previous attempts at personal and marriage counseling--private sessions with a therapist and couples communication classes through Kaiser--never addressed our fundamental difficulty which seemed to arise from a sex-life that was contentious. This led to a reluctance on the part of my husband to trust therapy to address our conflict. However, at his wits' end, my reluctant husband finally agreed to try seeing Dr. Anya. We warily scheduled a free consultation to discuss our issues and see whether she could help. After describing her methods, Anya reported that with Homeplay--exercises devised to help set new behavior patterns and sensitize partners to their mutual goals--couples were usually able to achieve improvement within six or more sessions. We decided to go for it as we had nothing to lose having tried everything we could think of on our own. Yes, professional guidance is expensive, but in our experience, it was completely worth it. With Anya's guidance, we learned how to open up to each other and address our issues for the first time. We learned how to navigate the differences in our case that are often fundamental to male and female arousal, and that made it easier to understand why we could never seem to get on the same page. Our goal was to break the deadlock we had found ourselves in and to increase our intimacy and have more joy from sex. With Anya's guidance, we feel we have succeeded in re-establishing the connection we had lost. We have rediscovered the ability to address and satisfy our mutual desires. It has not been a particularly simple or easy process to break the destructive cycle that we had found ourselves in after all those years, but Anya has given us tools to use going forward. Finally, it's reassuring knowing that we can always contact Anya for help and further guidance if we find ourselves falling back into old, destructive behaviors.

Anya is amazing! She listens and provides so much support and thoughtful expertise. We worked with…read moreher for a year and she was able to help us deepen our relationship and become better partners for each other. She creates a space where it is easy to talk about things that aren't necessarily easy to talk about. Thank you Anya!

Megan is truly a gem! I consider her to be the #1 dating and sex expert in the Bay Area and…read moreprobably beyond! In a few words, her sessions are deeply empowering, fun, and healing. I found her website over a year ago when I was going through difficulty in my dating life. I bought her package deal and in a few months time, I felt empowered, newly in touch with my feminine energy, and ready to have great experiences. Megan is extremely warm, empathetic, and knowledgeable. Everything she shares is always heartfelt and tailored to the individual. She has equipped me with the tools I need to succeed in my romantic life. Moreover, her sessions are always a blast because of the Somatica element. Her sessions go far beyond what a person can gain in traditional talk therapy settings. She also offers supportive coaching during Covid, which goes a long way!

I am extremely grateful for the therapy I received from Megan. I think I speak for a lot of people…read morewhen I say that having an open, honest discussion about relationships, love, and sex can be very difficult. Personally, there is a lot of intricate and sensitive emotions that come with these topics, so finding someone I trust is extremely important. I'm very glad that I found Megan because she provided a non-judgemental and soothing environment for us to work together. It didn't take long for me to open myself up and trust her. Megan is experienced and wise, and throughout the course of our sessions, she also proved herself to be someone who can adapt on the fly. While she possesses a wide range of great qualities, I believe that her strongest attribute is her empathy - she is extremely skilled in immersing in the "world" of others and emerging with unique perspectives to offer. This is a hallmark trait of a very good therapist. Megan is also someone who has the ability to sit with her own emotions - good and bad - and steer the course of her thoughts in the most optimal way possible. These are rare qualities that many of us have yet to master (or even realize we struggle with). All of this is to say, she lives the truth that she speaks. If you are someone who is considering therapy, I highly recommend reaching out to Megan. You will not be disappointed!

Working with Nicole was one of the best investments I've made in myself. She helped me create…read moremeaningful change across multiple areas of my life -- both personal and professional -- in a way that felt structured and achievable. She has a gift for listening without judgment and then translating insights into practical next steps. I appreciated how available and responsive she was, and how focused she stayed on helping me make measurable progress toward my goals. I'm incredibly grateful for her guidance and would absolutely recommend her to anyone ready to grow with intention.

I have been working with Nicole for a little over a year now. Though I felt her services to be…read morebeneficial to my daily life from the beginning, I feel that the longer I work with her, the more I can see and feel the benefit grow. The essence of our work together has been focused on discovering more ease for me in my life - focusing mostly on my work life, as I am self-employed and can easily allow my work to overwhelm me. I often reference past conversations I have had with Nicole when facing new moments of friction, and have no doubt that my life feels more easeful due to Nicole's help. I highly recommend her services to those who desire to smooth out the rough edges of their life.

No comment, I didn't enjoy the sessions at all, unfortunately very disappointed. I preferred Dr…read more Anya who is much more attentive

Dr. Alison is truly dedicated to the providing care for folks who want to learn more about…read morenavigating the complex world of sexuality and relationship dynamics. She creates a safe space and puts a lot thought into how to improve more vulnerable and intimate aspects of our lives. The workshop I attended lasted for 4 hours and I could tell that there was a lot of thought put into the material and a willingness to go the extra mile. I highly recommend Dr. Alison and encourage you to take the chance and open new doors to help unlock the things you really want in life.

The work I did with Ginnette helped me in so many ways and I'm very grateful to have done this for…read moremyself--all in the span of a couple of months. At first, I was completely overwhelmed at the prospect of dating again. Not only did the coaching help with getting back out there, the work transformed other areas of my life. I gained so much because she's so accepting & grounding. As I got more confident dating, it snowballed into my creative work & career. She's incredibly intuitive, caring, normalizing and very non-judgmental. I also wanted to learn how to bring up my gender-variant pronouns (she/they) as cis-woman to potential dates and brought this up with her. This was an issue I didn't have space to address in regular therapy but could in sex coaching. She helped me navigate parts of my identity in a loving way. In the process of working through this newly found discovery, I felt more liberated because I felt better about myself--in turn, I can handle my pronouns with grace and courage. Update: It's been 3 months since I saw Ginnette. I'm dating again after being in an LTR (Long Term Relationship) after 16 years and I carry her wisdom with me. Taking this all in slowly and savoring each person in the moment has been a delight that's helped me move past insecurities!

I reached out to Ginnette to help me build confidence as I was going through a divorce. I realized…read morethat I had gone through my intimate life with many missing pieces. My whole life I've been more concerned about partners' happiness than my own. Ginnette helped me change that.  I'm learning a lot about myself. It blows my mind that I'm now looking at things so differently. She has taught me more about connection and physical intimacy as-well as patterns I want to change  and I am getting there with her help. I can honestly say that I am looking forward to 2024. I would not have been able to say this 6 months ago. Ginnette has gotten me ready for my next chapter and I'm actually excited about it! I'm so grateful for her and the work we have been doing together.

I'm writing this as a second-year student in the 6-month Somatica training led by Celeste and…read moreDanielle - a training for people who want to become sex and relationship coaches and/or just want to access powerful info and transformational tools for themselves. I came to Somatica in the throes of the breakup of my loving yet sexually dead marriage. (Actually, I first found Somatica online when searching for help for my spouse and me, but for complex reasons, my spouse was not willing to go.) I wanted a place where I learn how to get my own sexual needs met after a very long and painful drought. I wanted to better understand why I had chosen to partner with a wonderful person with whom I never had great sex -- why we could never break through to the level of sexual joy I'd had with my other partners, and also why I stayed. When I attended the free Intro, I was especially impressed by Celeste and Danielle's combination of leadership and vulnerability. I thought "If I can learn to lead and teach from a more vulnerable place, that alone will make the training worthwhile for me." I got so much more than I even knew I wanted or could get! Leading and teaching from a place of vulnerability is still a growth edge for me, but I have a model now, and validation and encouragement. I also learned sooo much about different sexual scripts and turn-ons, which gave me so much insight about why my spouse and I hadn't connected well, and helped me become less judgmental/fearful, and much more open/playful around turn-ons different from my own. I learned how to be in charge of my own arousal and share it with others, rather than having to wait for them to elicit it in my preferred ways. I learned how easily I could share sexual energy with a wide variety of people, and reveled in the permission to do so. I got triggered and dealt with it. I had some incredibly healing and illuminating practice sessions with class members. I got help. I got challenged. I did some challenging of my own. I got humbled and freaked out at times, but I kept showing up and kept growing. I learned and integrated sooo much about attachment, which helped me finally stop taking the pain of my marriage so personally. Oh, and I learned some incredibly valuable lessons about repair, lessons that I've been able to use to, for instance, transform a tense and angry conversation with my landlord into an exchange of mutual vulnerability and connection! I also learned how to belatedly ask for - and receive - some deep attachment wound healing with my former spouse. I have become much less emotionally reactive in general, much more internally resilient. Of course, this is a path I've been on for a long time, but my experience in Somatica has greatly deepened my learning. All these specifics barely begin to scratch the surface of what I learned and how I changed. There's so much more! I appreciated the experience so much that I signed up to do it again the following year! I'm so appreciative of the curriculum Celeste and Danielle have created, the community they foster, the values they uphold, the wisdom and humility with which they teach. And OK, that said, of course no one is perfect, and no one is a perfect coach or teacher for everyone, and no single 6-month training can truly prepare someone with no prior training to navigate this difficult terrain skillfully. If you are considering working with Celeste, Danielle or anyone else, I suggest you carefully assess whether their personality, values and approach resonate with you, your values and what you seek. I haven't done one-on-one work with either of them, but from my experience in class, I'd say that I believe C&D work with great skill and integrity to try to help you create the sexual and love life you truly want -- yet like everyone, they do have their own biases, and those are bound to influence them (again, this would be true of anyone with whom you might work.) If you are considering working with a Somatica-trained practitioner, check out what other background and training they have; many of the students have enormous amounts of relevant experience, but not all do. If you are considering joining the class, know that this is wonderful, transformational work, and as such, will push you to your growth edges (that's the whole point! but of course, it can sometimes be uncomfortable.) I will say this, though: I'm a tough sell. I've been around the transformational block for a few decades, and for me to emerge from a six-month training and immediately re-up, says a lot :)

This review is for the Somatica training program only. If you are considering doing the Somatica…read moreTraining think about it long and hard, and try to find some people who have gone through it to talk to. I would not recommend it, (unless you just want to do it and don't care what you get out of it), and yes I have done it. While I mostly enjoyed the process going through the program, looking back in hindsight I can see things more clearly. The cost is very expensive and that is really the founder's main motivation...to make bank, which they clearly do. They have their TV show now, which to me just reinforces the fact that their main motivation is money, and not necessarily helping people first and foremost. The atmosphere is cult like, and they market the program as though it is pretty much guaranteed that you will come out of the training with a new career which is only true for their favorite students. You have to pass a sort of test at the end, (a mock session with one of the founders), to be "certified" as a practitioner, and not passing feels frustrating, and that the whole thing was a waste of time and a lot of money for those who do not pass. People do not come out of the the program with a degree. It is not guaranteed that you will have anything to show as an "accomplishment" after spending a lot of time and money on the program, like you would get with a college degree. To be fair I am sure that it works for some people but I also thought it only fair that I post a review for others who are considering the expensive program to know that it is not a positive and fruitful experience for everyone. Looking back on it, the experience makes me feel like I failed, (and/or did not fit the mold of what ever category you need to fall into to feel a real part of the culture within the program). It just leaves me with kind of an overall sad and beaten down feeling. The program clearly caused more hurt than good for me. This is not how someone should come out feeling after investing time and money in a program that is supposed to be supportive and all the other ways it is marketed. I do not feel as though people who really want to succeed within the program are necessarily helped and guided to do so. If you want to become a sex and relationship therapist, I would recommend going the route of going to a real accredited school and getting the appropriate degrees and licensing that are necessary. I wish I could get all that money I spent back.

Shelby is absolutely incredible, and we feel lucky we found her! My partner and I went to Shelby to…read morelearn more about increasing intimacy and connection that will last. We had no idea what to expect going into our first session and were nervous about what it would be like. I am SO glad we overcame our nerves and scheduled a session, because Shelby has had such a positive impact on our relationship and each of us individually. She brings immense knowledge and value to each session, so we have continued to meet with her far longer than we initially expected! She put us at ease immediately, and is incredibly skilled, thoughtful, and observant. Working with Shelby, we have seen our romantic connection, communication, and chemistry blossom even further. Plus, we just had so much fun in every single session. If you are considering sex and intimacy coaching, but are on the fence, all I can say is GO SEE SHELBY! You will not regret it.

I will say I was incredibly nervous about trying therapy. It is a deeply personal thing that we…read moredon't typically talk about with others and caries with a lot of emotional baggage guilt shame etc.. Quite a few times before the first session I contemplated canceling, but I am so glad I made that call. I will say Shelby made all of those fears and concerns melt away . Shelby is a person who's skills make them a perfect match for their occupation. She has a foundation of empathy, insight and kindness that instantly puts you at ease. I have no sense of judgement only encouragement and acceptance when talking about deeply personal things. Shelby is also incredibly insightful, digging through very complicated histories individually and as a couple she was get a clear understanding of dynamics and behavior patterns that were invisible to us but became obvious when she shed light on them. And finally she brought us change and hope for years we have been in a rut both missing the mark with each other but Shelby has helped us work on ourselves to solidify the foundation of intimacy trust and partnership that is required for a fulfilling relationship. TLDR Shelby is a fundementally kind, patient, open minded and understanding person who will help you and your partner get your MOJO back!

We found Alison purely based on her outstanding reviews here on Yelp. A young, vibrant couple, and…read moreover five years into a wonderful relationship. We had reached a substantial crossroads and together decided that we wanted to pursue couples counseling. We had plenty of friends and family to talk with, so it wasn't so much that we needed "someone to talk to" as it was that we were looking for a specialist to offer advanced counseling. Alison was provided just that. Experience, professionalism and knowledge are a given with her. On top of this, she was able to really grasp each of our individual goals and desires and reflect this back to us with a clarity that we had grown somewhat blind to. With Alison, expect everything listed above, in addition to being a good listener, nurturing, revealing, unbiased, honest and, perhaps the most important - empowering. If anything here rings with current happenings in your own life(s), pick up the phone and give her a call. Five-star going in and five-star going out.

alison is open and caring and honest and i definitely want to confide in her to understand how to…read moreget the help i need. it takes a special skill and personality to do what she does and she has "it" for sure. she has a strong ability to be present and non judgmental, which is such an important skill for her work. if you're contemplating reaching out for help, i would say "don't hesitate!"

I had to write about my experience with Christina Sophie. I felt so well taken care of and cared…read moreabout. I felt comfortable enough to be vulnerable with really sensitive parts of myself almost right away. She is the real thing I'm so glad I found her! She is down to earth, yet very professional. It's an investment, but her experience makes it worth it because I'm getting a lot out of this journey

I found Alison after looking for a relationship / dating coach after being out of the game for 12+…read moreyears and having some pretty bad experiences. Alison has a direct communication style which Im a big fan of, and made a lot of really good points that still stick with me today. I find most therapy sessions to be hit or miss but I felt all of my 1:1s with Alison I left with something to mull over and a new perspective on something I was thinking through. Shes well versed in Bay Area dating dynamics and id highly recommend for other busy professionals looking for feedback

Alison helped me to crack several issues I was facing, in a constructive and collaborative way…read more She's amazing! Highly recommend!