I was born in Los Angeles, California and have lived in Southern California most of my life, except notably in Brooklyn when I was a young girl, and in Akron, Ohio with my husband one year. Currently, I work as a psychologist and sex therapist in Newport Beach, CA, where I see men, women, and couples for all kinds of sex and relationship concerns. I am also a published author; my ground-breaking book "Sex, Love, and Mental Illness: A Couples' Guide to Staying Connected" came out in 2011, and my new book, What Every Therapist Needs to Know about Sex" is due out in 2013. Having grown up in an area of the country impacted by all kinds of trends, I love to read about contemporary culture, especially as it applies to people's sexuality. When it comes to sex, people and their views are fluid and ever changing. It is an exciting field in which to work, and I am never bored. I have been married over 25 years to my wonderful husband, Mark, and I have a college-aged daughter who has wanderlust to travel the world and who will likely follow in my footsteps to become a psychologist. I feel very fortunate to have my family, "small but mighty," as we like to say.

How did you get to where you are now?

My path to becoming a psychologist and sex therapist was quite winding. I had always wanted to write, so I got a degree in English from UCLA, and then a degree in writing from USC. Knowing it could be years before I earned money as a writer, I earned a teaching credential and taught in the inner city for a decade. My teaching experience fanned interest in my students' inner experience, and off I went to get a master's degree in psychology at Pepperdine University, and eventually earning my doctorate in psychology from Alliant University / CSPP. I never stopped writing, though. I wrote a few children's books, including "There's No Surf in Cleveland," and I edited and wrote books for an educational publishing company. As a sex therapist, I have kept and active blog--The Blog Erotic. I've also edited and written articles for all kinds of newsletters. including the now defunct Women's Sexual Health Foundation. I became interested in sex therapy after working with an endocrinologist. As she told me, when people lost interest in sex they often believe it's their hormones--but it hardly ever is. As someone trained in working with systems, I have been able to use a mind-body approach to helping people understand their sexuality at many different levels. Like I said, I'm never bored.

How do you see yourself differently now than you did 10 years ago?

I'm more confident in myself now. If I had always been this confident, I think I would have made a bigger mark on the world. But I'm happy with the mark I am leaving behind--the work I do with my clients, my writing, and of course the legacy of my daughter. I also have better balance these days. I know it's okay to leave my work at the end of the day, because it will be there tomorrow. I feel better about myself, because I don't really care about impressing anyone. I do what I enjoy and try not to give much thought to all the rest.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years, I believe I will still be working, but the nature of my work may change. I can't see myself giving up my clinical work altogether, because I find helping people figure out their sexuality and relationships very gratifying. But I think I will be doing more writing, speaking, and training as I head into the last part of my career. Personally, I think I will take a bit more time off than I do now to travel. I'm happy traveling close to home, all around the southwest and northwest, but I like to see different cities here in the States, too. I want to take some major trips, too, to see Japan and go back to Europe. I'm also hoping that I'm a grandmother--but, we'll see!

Dear Younger Self, The one thing you did right was to use your imagination to light your way. All that you dreamed of has manifested. Which means, you understand, that you don't need to worry about anything. Even though there were obstacles in your way, you just put one foot in front of the other. So don't fret, stay calm, and persevere. It all turns out okay. Really. Lots of love, Older Self

My role models include--in no particular order--Simone de Beauvoir, Helen Keller, Erica Jong, Gloria Steinem, Christiane Amanpour, Oprah Winfrey, Alice Miller, Helen Mirrenn, Diane Keaton, Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth, Madeleine Brand, Patt Morrison...