Sex Therapist in Toronto, ON

Sex can be one of the hardest things to talk about, even with the person you share a bed with, and a sex therapist gives you a calm, private place to do it. Dr. Karen Kaffko & Associates is a collaborative psychotherapy practice led by Dr. Karen Kaffko, a registered psychologist in Toronto, and sex therapy is one of the services our practice offers. Dr. Kaffko works with individual adults and couples as a sex therapist in Toronto, alongside associates whose own work touches intimacy, sexuality and relationships. Sessions run in person at our midtown office on Eglinton Ave. East or online, whichever suits you better. People look for sex therapy in Toronto for all kinds of reasons, from a change in desire to a rough stretch in a relationship to questions they've carried quietly for years.

Sexual Concerns We Help With

Sexual concerns rarely arrive on their own. They tend to show up alongside stress, a low stretch, a hard history or a relationship that has slowly drifted, and they're often tangled up with all of it. The concerns we most often help with include:

• Worries about sexual performance, including anxiety that feeds on itself
• The impact of sexual assault on sexuality, touch and closeness
• Loss of sex drive that comes with low mood or depression
• Anxiety-related sexual difficulty during fertility treatment
• Emotional and physical intimacy, and the disconnection that can grow between partners
• Sexual problems that have become a source of conflict in the relationship
• Dating and sexuality after separation or divorce
• Questions about sexual orientation and gender identity

Trouble with erections is a good example of how ordinary these concerns are, with about 40% of men in their 40s having some degree of erectile difficulty and the share rising roughly 10% each decade. That means plenty of men in their forties and fifties are quietly dealing with the same thing, often without telling anyone. Many men find that feeling embarrassed or anxious about it can make the problem seem worse, and that loop is often what sexual performance anxiety therapy works on. Counselling is recommended early, especially when stress or performance anxiety is part of the picture. Loss of sex drive is listed among the common signs of depression, so sex therapy for low libido often brings mood and desire into the same conversation.

You don't need to name the problem precisely to begin. Plenty of people start with something as simple as "things have changed, and I'm not sure why."

Sex therapy at our practice works two ways, and you choose the one that fits. Individual sessions give adults a private space to work on their own sexual concerns, at their own pace, whether you're single, partnered or somewhere in between. Couples sessions are for partners who find that intimacy or sexual difficulty has become part of what's going on between them. Partners in our couples therapy and relationship counselling work on where emotional and physical disconnection comes from, through couples therapy and, in some cases, sex therapy. Partners looking for couples sex therapy in Toronto can come in to the office together or meet with us online.

We're a proudly LGBTQ+ affirming practice, and we welcome partners in open and polyamorous relationships. You'll find more on our LGBTQ therapy for adults, couples and families, and on our sexual assault therapy for people affected by sexual trauma, for the times when either one is part of your story.

People often ask what sex therapy is, and the plain answer is that it's a talk-based form of psychotherapy focused on sexuality, where no sexual activity ever takes place in session. Everything happens in conversation, at a pace that feels manageable to you. The work usually starts with a detailed history of the concern and a plan built with your input, and it can include reading or exercises you do privately at home between sessions. That usually means the first meetings are about telling your story and being heard, well before any suggestions are made.

Getting started with us is simple. You'll have a first conversation with Dr. Kaffko or an associate before you book anything, just to talk through the reason you're looking for therapy. Then you find a time that works for you and your therapist, and your first session goes in the calendar.

Our team generally works from an integrative framework that combines several effective psychotherapy models: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy and mindfulness-based approaches. Treatment is shaped around your goals, your needs and your preferences, so two people with what sounds like the same concern may end up working in quite different ways.

The title Psychologist is protected in Ontario, and only members of the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario who are registered to practise psychology can use it, after graduate training, supervised experience and exams. The College keeps a public register, so you can look up your psychologist before your first session if you'd like. Dr. Karen Kaffko is a registered Psychologist with that College and the supervising psychologist of the clinic. Her listed specializations include issues relating to sexuality, such as the impact of assault and sexual performance, along with couple therapy and LGBTQ+ issues. She also taught at York University for several years, where she helped develop and teach courses including Human Sexuality: Development & Diversity and Sexual Interactions & Relationships.

Several associates bring experience that touches this work as well. Louise Bailey, M.S.W., R.S.W., works with individuals and couples on comfort with intimacy, both physical and emotional. Radhika Varma, M.A., R.S.W., works with issues related to sexuality, including the journey of gender identity transition, and has advanced training in trauma-focused therapy for people who have lived through sexual violence. Sherry Barrett, M.S.W., R.S.W., supports people adjusting to life after separation or divorce, dating and sexuality included.

It helps to know who you'd be talking to when you search for a sex therapist near you, and each clinician's training and full background is there to read whenever you like.

Our office is at 327 Eglinton Ave. East, on the main floor, in midtown Toronto. A quiet room away from home can make these conversations easier for some people. Others prefer online therapy by secure video or telephone, which is fully confidential and available 7 days a week, with daytime, evening and weekend hours. Sex therapy counts as psychotherapy in Ontario, and psychotherapy is a controlled act limited to members of six regulatory colleges, including when it's delivered by video. So online sex therapy in Ontario follows the same rules as a session in our office, and all you need is a reliable internet connection and a private space to talk.

OHIP doesn't cover care outside hospital from providers who aren't physicians or practitioners named under Ontario law, so services provided by psychologists aren't covered. Many extended health care plans and employment health insurance plans do cover the cost of services with a supervising registered psychologist. We bill you directly, and you'll receive a receipt with the information your insurance company needs to reimburse you. Your insurer can be expected to reimburse online sessions at the same rate as in-person ones. You don't need a referral, either; a professional can refer you, or you can simply refer yourself. We ask for one business day, or 24 hours, of notice to cancel or reschedule, so a Monday appointment needs to be changed by the Friday before. A session missed or cancelled with less notice is charged the full fee. Our fees and appointment policies are all on one page if you'd like to read them over.

You can start working with a sex therapist in Toronto in person at our Eglinton Ave. East office or online from home, whichever feels right. There's no need to have the right words ready, or even a clear idea of what you want to change, and many people begin with nothing more than a sense that something isn't sitting right. Individual adults and couples are both welcome, and individual sessions can run alongside couples work or on their own. A first conversation is simply a chance to say what's been happening and hear how we work. You can schedule your free consultation through our Contact Us page whenever you're ready, and we'll take it from there.