Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Stacy Friedman.
Dr. Friedman, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I was in high school and becoming more aware of my sexuality, I noticed how comfortable I was talking about sex, being open-minded and how shy or quiet so many others were, when I would bring things up having to do with sex. I wasn’t one to worry about what people thought which allowed me to be confident in myself. I loved to be able to talk about sexuality freely where others came to me in confidence knowing I wouldn’t judge and would listen with compassion. I was actually called the young Dr. Ruth in high school and when I graduated, I decided I wanted to go to school to become a therapist, specifically sex therapy. It wasn’t something that was really out there so I tried doing Psychology and see where that would take me and then decided to go a different route to something more medical. I graduated with a BA in Psych and then went to school again to be an ultrasound tech. I have been doing that for 24 years but about 15 years ago, after my kids were born, I went to part-time with ultrasound and started doing the adult romance parties where I sold the toys, lotions and adult novelties and at the same time, did private consults with my customers to help them decide which purchase would benefit their situation the best.
I have had my own issues regarding my health as well as my sexuality, which consisted of exploring who I was, what my needs were sexually and dealing with painful sex after childbirth. It took me 6 years to find someone to help with the pain, have a surgery that saved my life as a woman and sexual being and it fueled my passion to help others. The subject of sexuality fascinated me and wanted to help others be open, enjoy themselves without shame, guilt, judgment and find ways to alleviate pain or at least work with their partner to still be able to enjoy themselves despite the issues they were dealing with. After my divorce, I wanted to find a better way to support myself and had physical issues that made doing ultrasound difficult so I went back to school to get my masters in Clinical Sexology and Certification as a Sex Coach and then completed my education where I earned my Doctorate in Human Sexuality. I have started a private practice in 2015 as a Clinical Sexologist and Certified Sex Coach and doing what I am meant to do.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was not a smooth road to how I got to where I am today as financially it was a major struggle trying to go back to school at the same time I was going through a divorce with two kids. We, as a family, had recently moved to South Florida from Tampa 7 years ago, I was going through a divorce about a year later, I had a lot of health issues which took a lot of time and money and then trying to be a single mom and making ends meet while going through a lot of mental and physical strain was tough. The field of sexuality isn’t something that everyone is comfortable with so I had to really look at whether it was going to be something profitable where I could make a living on my own and for my kids and where it was something that I could promote and actually have a business with.
Dr. Stacy Friedman-Intimacy Coach – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My business is a private practice that helps women, men, couples of any sexual orientation or gender identity. I help people with all aspects of sexuality, sexual health and sexual function. I do not do therapy but I coach people by helping them define their goals and forming action plans to help them reach their goals. It is a forward-thinking, goal-oriented process and is non-pathologizing. I specialize in working with individuals and couples who have:
Mismatched sex drive and intimacy issues: where your sexual desires are not in sync with your partner and need some help to grow or reignite the sizzle in your relationship
Women’s concerns: low libido, painful sex, orgasmic difficulties whether you have never had an orgasm or are struggling to have one, sex while trying to conceive, during pregnancy and reconnecting after the baby has arrived, as well as menopause with the loss of hormones and sex drive.
Alternative lifestyles: Navigating, wanting to begin or are a part of a swinging or polyamorous relationship.
LGBTQ community: Questioning your sexuality or gender, being a part of an LGBT relationship and also those needing support through their transitions.
I am most proud of my ability to make people feel comfortable in discussing the most private and intimate details of themselves and their relationships by giving them a safe and non-judgmental space to feel free to be who they are. They feel understood and that they are “normal” which allows them to start healing, growing and moving forward. I feel that because I have been through so much and dealt with a lot of issues of my own that I specialize in, I have the personal journey as well as the education that allows me to truly understand what a lot of my clients go through. I also have the medical background of being an ultrasound technologist for 24 years so I am very familiar with the body, how it works, functions, the different disease processes and working with women as a specialty working with OB/GYN and ultrasound.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Starting my private practice after earning my Doctorate has been pretty amazing and I am very proud of the hard work it took to get there especially overcoming all of the obstacles to achieve that goal. What I am really proud and excited about is that I will be releasing my first book in the next month or so-called “Confessions & Lessons of a Sexpert – The Ultimate Guide to Intimacy and Better Sex” and I am beyond thrilled to be able to reach a lot more people and be able to share my journey and lessons about sex and intimacy. I have been wanting to be able to educate, share positive sexuality and help others going through things that I have been through, at the same time, teach things I know will help couples in their relationships as well as within themselves. I plan on giving away copies of the book to those people who sign up on my website before it gets published!
Contact Info:
- Address: 5700 Lake Worth Rd, Suite #110
Greenacres, FL 33463 - Website: www.DrStacy.org
- Phone: 561-899-7669
- Email: stacy@drstacy.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/drstacyfriedman
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/drstacyfriedman
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/drstacyfriedman
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/stacy-friedman-dhs-lake-worth-2
- Other: www.linkedin.com/in/drstacy
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