Negin Motlagharani, PhD, LMFT, CST

Our need for connection, belonging, safety, and trust are core needs that bind all individuals together. Relationship distress and sexual concerns occur as a result of unmet needs and our inability to effectively communicate our desires. My role as your therapist is to cultivate a safe and non-judgmental space that allows you to have intimate and essential conversations with ease and confidence.

My integrative and evidence-based approach to therapy is both direct and empathic. I will encourage you to identify your personal strengths so that you can use them to move toward reaching your goals, while also challenging you to take responsibility for the change you want to see in your life. My work is trauma informed, sex-positive, and sex-inclusive as it considers the unique and intersecting identities that individuals hold and the ways in which these social locations influence their thoughts, beliefs, values, and perceptions. I am an LGBTQIA+, kink-, poly-affirming clinician who believes that change occurs in the context of a strong therapeutic relationship where collaboration is utilized, and you are provided with the necessary skills and tools to reach your full potential. Through the process of exploration and reflection, you can gain insight into maladaptive patterns and replace them with more adaptive ways of emoting, thinking, and behaving.

While I work with a variety of clients who present with a wide range of concerns, my specialty is treating those who are experiencing sexual functioning issues including diminished or low desire, desire discrepancy, performance anxiety, erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. I also have a strong passion and interest in working with clients who are trying to have a fulfilling relationship and sex life while also living with a disability or a chronic illness. In addition to my areas of specialty in sex therapy, I have an interest in helping clients manage relational stress related to modern dating and marriage, and work with individual concerns such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and perfectionism all of which may impair individual and relational well-being.

It is an honor to accompany you on your journey towards growth and healing, I cannot wait to collaborate with you!

Credentials & Qualifications:

• AASECT Certified Sex Therapist

• Gottman Level 1 and 2 Certification in Gottman Method Couples Therapy

• Treating Trauma & Affairs: Helping Couples Heal and Rebuild Trust- The Gottman Institute

• Prepare and Enrich Facilitator

• Member of American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)

• Member of American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT)

• Member of Society for Sex Therapy & Research (SSTAR)

• Ph.D. in Clinical Sexology from Modern Sex Therapy Institutes

• M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Northwestern University

• B.A. Psychology with a concentration in Human Services from DePaul University