Contact

Sex & Intimacy
Therapy

Restoring Safety. Building Connection. Reclaiming Pleasure.

Meet Rikki

Intimacy is meant to feel safe, connecting, and life-giving.

For many women and couples, however, it becomes a source of anxiety, avoidance, confusion, pain, or shame. Some struggle quietly for years. Others feel alone, embarrassed, or unsure where to turn.

You are not broken. And you are not alone.

Certified Sexuality Occupational Therapist

I am a Certified Sexuality Occupational Therapist through the Institute for Sex and Occupational Therapy, bringing advanced, specialized training in sexual health, intimacy, sensory processing, and nervous system regulation.

This certification reflects extensive training in the intersection of sexuality, sensory integration, trauma-informed care, and functional intimacy support — allowing me to approach sexual challenges with both clinical precision and emotional sensitivity.

My work in sex and intimacy therapy is grounded in nervous system regulation, emotional safety, and deep respect for each individual’s values and lived experience. Whether you are preparing for marriage, newly married, or years into your relationship, healing and growth are possible.

Who This Work Is For

Newly married women
Couples struggling with intimacy
Women experiencing numbness, shutdown, or avoidance
Women who want to learn how to experience pleasure
Women with sensory defensiveness affecting intimacy
Unmarried women preparing emotionally and physically for marriage

If intimacy feels heavy instead of connecting, something underneath needs attention.
When we address the root — not just the symptom — change becomes possible.

Areas I Help With

Unconsummated Marriage

When a couple is unable to consummate their marriage, it can feel frightening and isolating. I work gently and systematically to identify the underlying factors — whether sensory defensiveness, fear, shutdown responses, muscle guarding, anxiety, or misinformation — and help create a clear, compassionate path forward.

Teaching Women to Experience Pleasure & Orgasm

Many women were never taught how their bodies work — or were taught messages that disconnected them from pleasure entirely.

I help women:
  • Understand their physiology
  • Reduce anxiety and performance pressure
  • Develop body awareness and safety
  • Learn how pleasure actually builds
  • Move from numbness or shutdown toward sensation and connection

Pleasure is not selfish. It is an intrinsic part of healthy intimacy.

Fear of Touch & Intimacy

Some women experience intense discomfort around touch, closeness, or physical affection. This may stem from sensory defensiveness, anxiety, trauma history, strict messaging, or nervous system dysregulation.

Through a gradual, body-based, nervous system-informed approach, I help women:
  • Understand why their body reacts the way it does
  • Reduce fear responses
  • Increase tolerance for safe touch
  • Build a felt sense of control and choice

There is nothing “wrong” with you. Your body learned something — and it can learn something new.

Couples Seeking to Improve Their Sex Lives

Even loving, healthy couples may feel stuck. Desire mismatches, communication gaps, performance pressure, or emotional disconnection can slowly erode intimacy.

I work with couples to:
  • Improve communication around intimacy
  • Understand differences in desire
  • Reduce pressure and resentment
  • Build emotional and physical safety
  • Reintroduce curiosity, playfulness, and connection

Sex is not just a physical act — it is a nervous system event, an emotional exchange, and a learned skill.

Decreased Desire

Low or inconsistent desire is extremely common — especially for women. It is rarely about “not loving your spouse.” More often, it reflects stress, overwhelm, nervous system dysregulation, resentment, fatigue, or negative conditioning around sex.

Together, we explore:
  • The root causes of decreased desire
  • The difference between spontaneous and responsive desire
  • The role of safety and emotional connection
  • Practical strategies to rebuild interest and engagement

Desire can be rebuilt when safety is restored.

Painful or Negative Responses to Touch

If touch feels irritating, invasive, overwhelming, or painful, your body is communicating something important.

With my background in occupational therapy, tactile defensiveness, polyvagal theory, and somatic regulation, I approach these issues through both a physiological and emotional lens. We work slowly, respectfully, and collaboratively to reduce pain, increase tolerance, and restore comfort.

My Approach

My work integrates:

  • 25+ years of clinical experience
  • Occupational therapy expertise in sensory processing
  • Polyvagal theory and nervous system regulation
  • Reflex integration and body-based awareness
  • Trauma-informed care
  • Deep respect for halachic values and modesty

 

Sessions are private, calm, and deeply attuned. I work at your pace. There is no pressure, no shaming, and no “one-size-fits-all” protocol.

This is not about forcing outcomes.
It is about restoring safety so your body can respond differently.

Collaborative Care​

Sex and intimacy challenges rarely exist in isolation.

I frequently work in collaboration with psychotherapists and couples counselors. Many women and couples benefit from both emotional therapy and body-based intimacy work, and a coordinated approach often leads to the most meaningful progress.

Confidential Consultation

If you are struggling in this area, I invite you to reach out for a private consultation. Many women and couples wait years before asking for help. You do not have to.

Intimacy should not feel like a battleground. It can become a place of connection again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sessions are conducted in a private, professional office setting. They are calm, structured, and focused on education, nervous system regulation, and skill development.

Depending on the situation, sessions may include:

  • Education about anatomy, arousal patterns, and desire
  • Understanding the nervous system’s role in intimacy
  • Identifying fear, shutdown, or avoidance responses
  • Sensory regulation strategies
  • Guided body awareness exercises
  • Communication coaching for couples
  • Gradual desensitization to non-threatening touch

 

In some cases, therapeutic touch may be part of treatment — particularly when working with tactile defensiveness or fear of touch.
When touch is used, it is:

  • Clinical and structured
  • Fully explained beforehand
  • Always consent-based
  • Never sexual in nature
  • Focused on nervous system regulation and sensory tolerance

 

There is never sexual contact, sexual stimulation, or inappropriate touch in sessions.
The purpose of any body-based work is to help a woman’s nervous system feel safe — not to simulate or replace intimacy. All intimate connection happens within the marriage, not in the therapy room.

For couples work, much of the practical intimacy work is assigned as structured home exercises to be completed privately between spouses.
My role is educational and therapeutic — not participatory.

No. This is clinical, educational, and therapeutic work. While we discuss intimacy and sexual health, sessions are professional and grounded in nervous system regulation, communication, and skill-building. There is never sexual contact or sexual stimulation in session.

In some cases, yes — particularly when working with tactile defensiveness, fear of touch, or nervous system dysregulation.

Any touch used is:

  • Fully explained beforehand
  • Always consent-based
  • Clinical and structured
  • Never sexual in nature

 

The purpose of touch in therapy is to help the body feel safe and regulated — not to simulate intimacy. All intimate connection occurs privately within the marriage.

Sexual and intimacy challenges often involve both emotional and physiological components.


Psychotherapy addresses thoughts, trauma history, anxiety, and relational dynamics. My work focuses on the body, sensory responses, nervous system patterns, and the physical experience of intimacy.


Many women and couples benefit from both approaches working together. I frequently collaborate with psychotherapists and couples counselors to ensure care is coordinated and comprehensive.

Sometimes. It depends on the situation.
Some work is individual — particularly when addressing fear, pain, sensory defensiveness, or nervous system shutdown. In other cases — especially when working on communication, desire discrepancies, or relational dynamics — couples sessions are appropriate and very helpful.
Occasionally, husbands choose to schedule their own individual session. This allows them to:

  • Better understand the therapeutic process
  • Learn how the nervous system affects intimacy
  • Clarify how they can best support their wives
  • Ask questions in a comfortable setting
  • Share concerns openly

 

These sessions are educational and collaborative. The goal is always to strengthen the marriage and ensure both partners feel informed, supported, and aligned in the process.

No. My role is not to replace or simulate intimacy. My role is to help remove barriers so intimacy within the marriage can feel safe, connected, and mutually satisfying.

That is completely normal.
Many women have never had a safe, mature space to discuss intimacy openly. My approach is respectful, modest, and calm. We move at your pace, and nothing is discussed before you are ready.

Yes. My work is conducted with deep respect for halacha and modesty. The goal is always to strengthen healthy, connected intimacy within marriage — not to redefine it. I consult with several local Rabanim from various communities to ensure that sessions and interventions are appropriate for each client. I am always open to conversations with a client’s personal Rav or Dayan.