Are you currently accepting new clients?

Yes. We are currently welcoming new individual and couples clients across Virginia, Florida, Washington DC, and Maryland — both in person at our Fairfax, VA and Miami, FL offices and via secure telehealth.

What happens during the free consultation?

The free 15-minute consultation is a low-pressure phone call. We'll talk briefly about what brings you in, answer any questions you have about our approach, and help you figure out which therapist might be the best fit. There's no commitment required — it's just a conversation.

How do I schedule a free consultation?

The easiest way is to use our online booking link — you can pick a time that works in about 60 seconds. Click Book a Free Consultation in the navigation bar, or visit our Schedule page. If you'd prefer to reach out first, you can also use our contact page and we'll respond within one business day.

What should I expect in my first paid session?

Your first session is mostly intake — your therapist will ask about your background, what's bringing you in, your goals, and any relevant history. You won't be expected to go deep on your first visit. Think of it as a mutual conversation to understand each other and establish a direction. Sessions are 45–50 minutes depending on your therapist.

What actually happens in a sex therapy session? Will I be asked to do anything sexual?

No — and this is the most common misconception about sex therapy. Sessions are fully clothed, conducted in a standard therapy office or via secure video, and there is no physical contact of any kind. We talk: about your experiences, emotions, relationships, history, and goals. You may be given exercises to practice privately at home between sessions, but nothing happens in the room that wouldn't happen in any other form of therapy.

What is the difference between sex therapy and regular therapy?

Sex therapy is a specialized form of psychotherapy focused on sexual health, functioning, and intimacy. Our therapists hold advanced credentials — including AASECT certification — that go well beyond standard licensure. This training equips them to address concerns like sexual dysfunction, desire discrepancy, sexual trauma, and intimacy in ways that most general therapists are not trained or equipped to do.

Can I come alone if my partner won't join me?

Absolutely. Individual sex therapy is effective and appropriate even when a partner isn't present or isn't ready to participate. Many clients work through deeply personal concerns — sexual trauma, low desire, anxiety, body image, or sexual dysfunction — entirely on their own. If couples work becomes relevant later, that's a conversation we can have when the time is right.

Do I have to talk about things I'm not ready to discuss?

No. You set the pace. Our therapists are trained to follow your lead, and you are never pressured to share more than you're comfortable with. Building a sense of safety in the room is always the first priority — the deeper work follows from there.

How long does therapy typically take?

It depends on your goals. Some clients address a focused concern in 8–12 sessions. Others work with us for a year or more on deeper relational or trauma-related issues. Your therapist will discuss realistic timelines with you early on, and you'll revisit them as the work evolves. Progress is always the measure — not time.

How often will we meet?

Weekly sessions are our standard recommendation. Consistent, regular sessions tend to produce the most meaningful and lasting progress. Bi-weekly scheduling is available in some circumstances. We generally don't recommend monthly sessions — the gap between appointments limits continuity and momentum.

Is everything I share completely confidential?

Yes. Everything discussed in sessions is strictly confidential under HIPAA and professional ethics standards. There are narrow, legally required exceptions — such as if we have reason to believe someone is in immediate danger — and your therapist will explain these clearly in your first session. What you share about your sexuality, relationships, history, or identity will never be disclosed without your explicit written consent.

I'm embarrassed to talk about sex with a stranger. Is that normal?

Completely normal — and expected. Most clients feel some version of this before their first session, and many describe it as the thing they were most worried about. Our therapists have heard it all, and they're specifically trained to make these conversations feel less daunting over time. The free 15-minute consultation is a good first step: a short, low-stakes call that lets you get a sense of us before committing to anything.

Do you work with LGBTQ+ clients and non-traditional relationship structures?

Yes, wholeheartedly. Cushing Counseling is an affirming, judgment-free practice. We welcome clients of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and relationship structures — including non-monogamous, polyamorous, and kink-aware individuals and couples. You do not need to explain or justify who you are here. Our therapists are trained in LGBTQ+ affirming care and approach every client with genuine respect and curiosity.

Do you work with individuals, couples, or both?

Both. We offer individual therapy, couples therapy, and integrated couples and sex therapy. Some clients start individually and bring a partner in later. Others come as a couple from the start. We'll help you figure out the right format during your free consultation.

What does therapy cost?

Session rates vary by therapist: Vanessa Cushing, LPC, CST (AASECT Certified) — $350 / 50 min. Radiance Sanneman, LCPC — $210 / 50 min. Alexandria Da Ponte Cheatham — $175 / 50 min. Noelle Harris, LMSW — $165 / 45 min individual, $220 / couples session. Every new client receives a complimentary 15-minute telephone consultation at no cost.

Do you accept insurance?

We are a private-pay, out-of-network practice and do not bill insurance directly. However, we partner with Thrizer, which allows many clients to use their out-of-network mental health benefits automatically — so you may pay significantly less than the full session rate, depending on your plan.

What is Thrizer and how does it work?

Thrizer is a service that verifies your out-of-network insurance coverage upfront and collects only your estimated share at the time of service. They file the claim automatically after each appointment and your reimbursement comes directly from your insurer. No superbill wrangling, no waiting on reimbursements, no paperwork on your end.

Can I get a superbill to submit to my insurance myself?

Yes. We can provide a superbill at any time — a detailed receipt that includes diagnosis codes, procedure codes, and your therapist's credentials. Just ask your therapist and we'll generate one for any session.

Do you offer sliding scale or reduced rates?

We have a limited number of reduced-fee spots available. If cost is a barrier to starting therapy, please mention it during your free consultation and we'll do our best to find an option that works.

What is your cancellation policy?

We ask for at least 24 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule. Late cancellations and no-shows may be charged the full session fee. We understand that life happens — please just reach out as soon as you know.

What payment methods do you accept?

All fees are collected via credit card on the day of your session, automatically. Your card is kept securely on file — there are no invoices or checks to manage.

Where are your offices located?

We have two physical locations: Fairfax, Virginia — 12875 Yates Ford Rd, Clifton, VA 20124. Miami, Florida — 244 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132. We also see clients throughout Virginia, Florida, Washington DC, and Maryland via secure telehealth.

Do you offer online therapy?

Yes. All of our therapists offer HIPAA-compliant telehealth sessions via secure video. Many clients prefer telehealth for the flexibility and privacy it offers. Session quality and fees are the same whether you meet in person or online.

Is telehealth as effective as in-person therapy?

Research consistently shows that telehealth is equally effective as in-person therapy for the concerns we treat — including sexual dysfunction, trauma, desire issues, and relationship challenges. Many clients actually find it easier to open up from the comfort and privacy of their own space.

What states do you serve via telehealth?

We are currently licensed to see telehealth clients in Virginia, Florida, Washington DC, and Maryland. If you are located outside these states, reach out and we can discuss your options or provide a referral.

How do I choose which therapist to work with?

Start with our About Us page to read about each therapist's training, style, and areas of focus. Practical factors like fee and availability matter too. If you're not sure, mention it during your free consultation — we'll help match you with the best fit. It's also completely fine to try a first session and reassess.

What is AASECT certification?

AASECT stands for the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. The AASECT Certified Sex Therapist credential is the gold standard in the field. Earning it requires a master's or doctoral degree in a mental health discipline, hundreds of hours of specialized training in human sexuality, supervised clinical hours with a certified supervisor, and ongoing continuing education. Vanessa Cushing holds this certification, placing her among a small number of AASECT-certified sex therapists in the country.

What specialties does the practice cover?

Cushing Counseling therapists collectively specialize in sex therapy and sexual dysfunction, couples therapy and intimacy, trauma therapy and sexual trauma recovery, LGBTQ+ affirming care, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy.

Find a specialist · 6 min read

Sex therapist near me: how to find a real one

What separates an AASECT-certified sex therapist from a general therapist who lists intimacy as an interest — and where this practice can see you.

Written and clinically reviewed by Vanessa Cushing, LPC, NCC, MS — AASECT-Certified Sex Therapist, licensed in Virginia & Florida. The Cushing Counseling team covers Virginia, DC, Maryland & Florida.

Sex therapist near me — a laptop, tea and an olive plant on a sunlit desk by a window — The nearest certified sex therapist is usually a secure video call away.

The short answer

Search for an AASECT-certified sex therapist licensed in the state where you are physically located — that licence, not the distance to their office, is what determines who can see you. Because sex therapy is talk therapy with no physical examination of any kind, it works as well by secure video as in a room, which is why the nearest certified specialist is usually online rather than down the road. Cushing Counseling sees clients across Virginia, Florida, Maryland and Washington, DC, and the first 15-minute consultation is free.

Book a free 15-minute consultation

If you are close enough to be reading this, you are close enough to be seen. Start with a free 15-minute consultation with Vanessa.

“Near me” is the wrong measurement

It is the natural thing to type, but proximity is not what decides who can treat you. Two things do: whether the therapist holds a licence in the state where you are physically sitting during the session, and whether they have actual training in sexual health rather than a general counselling licence and a willingness to listen.

AASECT certification requires supervised clinical hours specifically in sexual health on top of a full licence, so certified sex therapists are far fewer than general therapists and many towns have none nearby. Which is exactly why the honest answer to “is there one near me” is usually “the nearest one works by video, and that is not a compromise.”

Sex therapy is talk therapy. There is no physical examination, no touching, no undressing and no observation of sexual activity, ever. Nothing about the treatment requires being in the same room — the structured exercises are done privately at home either way. If a provider anywhere suggests otherwise, leave and report them.

What to check before you book anyone

Ask these on a consultation call rather than trying to work them out from a website. A specialist will answer all six without hesitating.

Are they licensed in the state where you will be physically located during sessions? Not where they live, not where their office is — where you are. This is the one non-negotiable.
Are they AASECT-certified, or do they simply list sexual concerns among twenty other specialties? Certification is verifiable on AASECT's own directory in under a minute.
Do they treat the sexual difficulty directly, or treat the relationship and hope the sex follows? The second is where most previous attempts stall.
Will you speak to the clinician before committing, or to an intake coordinator who books you with whoever is available?
Are fees and insurance discussed plainly up front, before a first appointment rather than after?
What happens to your records — who can see them, and what is disclosed to an insurer or employer without your written authorisation?

Sex therapist near me checklist — an open notebook with six ticked boxes and a brass pen on linen — Six questions worth asking before you book anyone.

Where this practice can see you

Cushing Counseling is licensed in Virginia, Florida, Maryland and Washington, DC. Anyone physically located in one of those four jurisdictions during the session can be seen, whatever city or county they are in — the licence covers the whole state, not a radius around an office.

Sessions are held by secure, HIPAA-compliant video, which is how the majority of clients here are seen by preference rather than necessity. The location pages below exist because people search by their own city, not because there is a waiting room in each one. That is stated plainly on every one of them.

Online sex therapy from home — a rust armchair, knit throw, closed laptop and headphones in warm lamplight — Your own chair, your own door closed. No waiting room, no drive.

What gets treated

Most of what comes through the door is one of a small number of problems, and these are exactly the problems sex therapy is built to treat.

Erectile difficulty, including the kind that began as a one-off and became a pattern
Early or delayed ejaculation
Low desire, and desire that changed after children, medication or a medical event
Desire discrepancy — one partner wanting sex far more or far less often than the other
Pain with penetration, including cases where the medical workup came back normal
Difficulty reaching orgasm
Performance anxiety and the avoidance cycle it sets up
Sexual shame carried out of religious, family or high-achievement messaging
Sexual trauma, and intimacy after it
Kink, non-monogamy and LGBTQ+ concerns, without having to explain the basics first

Who you would be working with

Vanessa Cushing, LPC, NCC, MS — AASECT-Certified Sex Therapist, MS from Johns Hopkins University, and the practice's founder. She has been quoted on sexual health in Cosmopolitan, Yahoo, Woman's World and the Toronto Sun, and works alongside a small team of licensed specialists in trauma, IFS and couples work.

If this is the year you deal with it, start with a conversation rather than a commitment. Book a free 15-minute consultation, or call (703) 544-7081.

Outside Virginia, Florida, Maryland or DC?

Dr. Elizabeth Wolfe, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified sex therapist on the team. Through PSYPACT she can see clients by secure video in 43 states and jurisdictions, individuals and couples alike.

Check the multi-state coverage page for your state, then book a free consultation and mention where you will be during sessions.

Dr. Elizabeth Wolfe, PsyD, clinical psychologist and certified sex therapist at Cushing Counseling — Dr. Elizabeth Wolfe, PsyD — seeing clients by secure video in 43 PSYPACT states.

Frequently asked questions

Is an online sex therapist as good as one in person?

For this work, yes. Sex therapy is conversation plus structured exercises done privately at home — there is no examination or physical component that a room adds. What does change outcomes is whether the clinician is certified in sexual health, and certified specialists are thinly spread, so insisting on a local office usually means choosing a generalist over a specialist. Video also removes the drive, the waiting room and the chance of being recognised in one.

How do I know if a sex therapist near me is actually qualified?

Check two things. First, state licensure in the state where you will be sitting during sessions — every state has a public licence lookup. Second, AASECT certification, which is searchable on AASECT's own directory; it requires supervised clinical hours specifically in sexual health on top of a full counselling licence. A therapist who lists “sexual concerns” among many interests may be perfectly good and still have no specific training in it.

Do I have to live in Virginia, Florida, Maryland or DC?

You have to be physically located in one of them at the time of the session — that is how therapy licensure works everywhere, and it goes by your location, not your mailing address or where you grew up. People who split time between states, or are posted away temporarily, are worth a consultation call rather than a guess; the answer depends on where you will actually be sitting.

I'm not in Virginia, Florida, Maryland or DC. Can anyone here see me?

Possibly. Dr. Elizabeth Wolfe, PsyD, practises online through PSYPACT in 43 states and jurisdictions. Check the multi-state coverage page for your state, then book a free consultation and mention where you will be located during sessions.

Is there any physical examination or touching?

No — never, in any legitimate sex therapy practice. Sex therapy is talk therapy plus private homework. Nobody undresses, nobody is examined, and no sexual activity is ever observed. If a provider anywhere suggests otherwise, leave and report them.

Can we come as a couple?

Yes. A great deal of this work is couples work — desire discrepancy, recovering after infidelity, intimacy that quietly stopped — and it can start with both partners or with one. Coming alone first is common and does not doom the couples work; it often makes the conversation easier when the second partner joins.

What does the free consultation involve?

A free 15-minute video call, with no obligation to continue. You speak with a clinician directly rather than an intake coordinator, and you can ask about fees, confidentiality, licensure in your state and whether this is the right fit before committing to anything.

Do you take insurance?

This is an out-of-network practice. Superbills are provided on request and many plans reimburse a share of the fee under out-of-network benefits; the insurance guide walks through how to check yours before a first session. Fees are discussed openly in the free consultation.

How private is this?

Sessions are held over a HIPAA-compliant video platform, records are kept to the clinical minimum, and nothing is disclosed to an employer, an insurer you have not billed, or anyone else without your written authorisation. It is a fair question to ask in detail on the consultation call — particularly for clients holding a security clearance or working somewhere discretion matters professionally.

Keep reading

Sex therapy in Virginia — State-wide — Northern Virginia, Richmond, Virginia Beach and beyond.
Sex therapy in Florida — Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale.
Sex therapy in Maryland — Bethesda, Baltimore and the DC suburbs.
Sex therapy in Washington, DC — Dupont Circle, Capitol Hill and Georgetown.
Sex therapist in Miami — The practice's home city.
Sex therapist in Northern Virginia — Alexandria, Fairfax, McLean and Vienna.
Sex therapist in Bethesda, MD — Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Rockville.
Sex therapist in Baltimore — Baltimore and the surrounding counties.
Online sex therapy in 43 states — Dr. Elizabeth Wolfe's PSYPACT coverage, state by state.
What sex therapy actually is — How the work runs, start to finish.
AASECT-certified vs. non-certified — What the certification actually requires.
Sexologist vs. sex therapist vs. sex coach — Which titles mean something and which are unregulated.
Does insurance cover therapy like this? — Out-of-network benefits, explained.

Also on this site

Fees & Insurance — Out-of-network benefits, superbills and what to expect.
Book a free consultation — Fifteen minutes with Vanessa — no intake form, no waiting list.
Contact us — Questions about coverage, scheduling or fit.

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