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Dr. Holly Wood
MS., PhD, LMFT, CST
Phone:
Email:
Location:
San Clemente, Orange County, CA and Virtual
Let’s Get Real About Sex and Connection
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If you’re here, something about your intimate life isn’t working the way you want it to.
Maybe you and your partner love each other but feel stuck in mismatched desire.
Maybe you’re recovering from sexual trauma and wondering if you’ll ever want — or enjoy — sex again.
Maybe shame, anxiety, or performance pressure has made sex feel more like work than pleasure.
I want you to know: you are not broken.
Sexual struggles don’t mean you’re failing — they mean you’ve been carrying too much alone for too long.
Why I Do This Work
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I became a sex therapist because I saw something missing in the way we treat sexual concerns — especially for survivors of sexual violence. Too often, therapy focused on reducing PTSD symptoms without helping people
re-engage in safe, pleasurable sex.
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I’ve also seen how many women (myself included) were taught to put everyone else’s needs first, ignoring their own wants and desires — in and out of the bedroom.
You deserve better.
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My goal is simple: to help you feel connected to your authentic sexual self and free from shame. To help you and your partner create a sex life that feels natural, integrated into real life, and deeply satisfying — whatever that looks like for you.
How We’ll Work Together
I’m direct, structured, and unafraid to name the hard stuff — but I’ll always meet you with warmth, humor, and empathy. My style is to stretch you toward your goals without pushing you past what feels safe.
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Together, we’ll use a blend of approaches tailored to your needs, including:
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EMDR to resolve sexual trauma and release what your body’s been holding.
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Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to build trust and emotional safety between partners.
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The Gottman Method to improve communication and strengthen your relationship’s foundation.
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CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) to help identify and shift unhelpful thoughts, patterns, and beliefs that impact sexual and relational well-being.
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Mindfulness-based tools to help you stay present, reduce anxiety, and open the door to pleasure.
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You don’t have to keep pretending everything’s fine or silently hoping it will get better.
We can work together to help you feel safe, confident, and connected in your intimate life again.
As a white, (mostly) heterosexual, cisgender, able-bodied woman and therapist, I recognize the privileges afforded to me by these aspects of my identity, as well as the societal structures that may influence my perspectives. While these privileges shape my understanding of the world, I also acknowledge the limitations of my lived experience in fully grasping the realities of those whose lives are shaped by different intersections of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or other factors.
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I’m intentional about creating a therapy space where all people — across races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and backgrounds — feel safe, valued, and heard. This means actively seeking out education, unlearning biases, and challenging the systems and narratives that cause harm.
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In our work together, your experiences, values, and perspectives matter. I will meet you where you are — with openness, empathy, and a willingness to learn from you — so we can explore your story in a way that honors who you are and supports the healing you deserve.
Who do I help?
I have years of experience in trauma work, sex therapy, and relationships. Her specialties include trauma recovery, sex after sexual abuse, domestic violence, PTSD, substance use, life transitions/personal growth, women’s issues, and LGBT+ issues. I also works with people who are dealing with anxiety, grief and loss, and other concerns.
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I use a truly integrative and collaborative approach, utilizing empirically supported treatments to assist clients in healing and developing a renewed sense of self. EMDR, CBT, EFT, MDFT, Mindfulness, and Humanistic approaches are often used.
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I am sex-positive, trauma-informed, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, BDSM/kink, polyam, sex worker, and neurodivergent affirming.
