SPECIALTIES

Couples/Marital Issues, Infidelity / Affair Recovery, Sexuality

Credentials

CST, MFT, PhD

Additional Expertise

Marriage/Couples Counselor, Sex Therapist, Speaker/Presenter

About Marty Klein

I've done over 30,000 counseling sessions with men, women, and couples. I’ve learned that everyone wants to be sexually normal, and too many people are afraid they aren’t.  And while people say that what they most want from sex is pleasure and closeness, during sex they usually focus on other things—how they look, smell, and sound; what their penis or vulva is doing (rather than how it feels); and how they imagine they compare with other men or other women in bed. Absolutely none of that gives people the nourishment they want from sex.

Along the way, I’ve written 7 books, hundreds of magazine articles, and an award-winning blog.

I remind readers that sex doesn’t equal intercourse. I tell people it’s OK to wear socks in bed if their feet are cold. I say orgasm is not the best or most important part of sex—and I warn women and men against faking it. I advise people to open the condom wrapper before their hands get slippery, and I encourage them to keep their lubricant in the bedroom, not the bathroom—unless, of course, they usually have sex in the bathroom.

And no matter where I go, no matter how much I write, I always come back to my patients. About half have sexual difficulties, such as problems with erection, orgasm, lubrication, scary fantasies, desire (too low, too high, or too weird), painful sex (both women and men), affairs (their own or their partner’s), and the current problem-du-jour, internet pornography. Of course, when people have sexual problems, shame, guilt, and anger are never far away.

The other half of my patients bring in the rest of humanity’s woes—problems with kids, in-laws, money, drinking, and that all-purpose description, communication problems.

My style as a therapist is eclectic. I’m extremely flexible, because every patient is different. Some need information; some need compassion; some need tough love; some need a little teasing to lighten them up (none of us is getting out of this life alive, right?  ); some need to take their own needs more seriously (generally after getting to know them better); and some people just need help growing up.

I look forward to working with you on YourTango.com. Just don’t expect a lot of simple advice that you’re already getting from your friends or relatives. And don’t expect a lot of advice about what to do with those few inches between your legs.

After all, sex isn’t just an activity—it’s an idea. So we’ll mostly talk about your sexual ideas—which will shape your activities, and improve your satisfaction immensely.

Find more sex advice here.

Marty Klein Articles