*This post is an excerpt from my schmoozeletter email. Subscribe to it for free here: elishevaliss.com/newsletter * Once upon a time,...

Trigger warning: this post discusses sexual trauma Zeesy, a 19-year-old newlywed, was referred for intense erotophobia- a fear of ...

*Trigger warning, sexual abuse described:* Yitzi’s parents really thought they’d taught him enough: “No one is allowed to touch you in...

This originally appeared as a column in the Five Towns Jewish Times: Dear Elisheva, I honestly never thought I would be writing a letter...

This will be a short, but I believe, very important post: One of the many awful results of inadequate, misinformed, or nonexistent sex...

Trigger Warning: This post contains sensitive content about child sexual abuse. *Like all vignettes featured in this blog, it reflects...

Have you ever wondered how often people have sex? (I purposely used the nebulously awkward euphemism “be intimate” in the title because...

Trigger warning: this may be difficult to read for survivors of trauma. Proceed with caution: Gittel and Shuey have been married for...

The phone rang, and a shy-sounding young woman introduced herself. “Hi. I’m not really sure if I need therapy. Could I tell you my issue,...

One year, when I went to shul for megila reading, I was a few minutes early, so I stopped to watch the adorable costumed children running...

More Shovevim thoughts on enhancing marital intimacy: Something I have struggled with for a few years now is wanting to create and share...

Please Note: This post contains explicit content, is for mature readers only, and may be triggering for survivors of trauma. Fay and her...

As many of you know, one of the most important aspects of the work we do with couples and individuals, is treating the results and...

Tzivi came home from preschool and told her mom that her Morah had gotten upset at her that day. “Morah said I used a bad word. But I...

You know that feeling where you finish a conversation, and then a little later, mentally review it and wish you could go back and change...

Several years ago, I had been invited to an event that also featured a talk for kallah teachers, giving by a woman who trains them. At...

My recent blog post “I’m Not Attracted to my Spouse” has attracted significantly more views, shares, and responses in its first week than...

Raizy, a soft-spoken 24 year old graphic designer, shifted in her seat, hesitant to share her next words. I waited, while she formulated...

Every year around this time, I wonder if this will be the year I try and “do something about it.” These are the weeks we call Shovevim...

Kayla (pseudonym) was referred to me a number of years ago, by her caring Rebbetzen and mentor, for what she described as a “very...

The well-groomed young couple settled into the matching navy, velvet club chairs in my office, and glanced at one another. After a beat,...

Miriam and Chaim had been married for just over ten years, and was happily and busily raising their brood of five healthy children, when...

Beila and Sruly (pseudonyms) are a handsome and charming couple in their 20’s. They were referred by Beila’s private therapist, for an...

There are, essentially, only two ways for kids to hear about sex: their parents, and Someplace Else. While that “someplace else” may be...

Debbie slumped in her chair in a cloud of defeat. “I really do love my husband, and I think he’s handsome, too, but I’m just not a sexual...

In working with couples on their sexual relationships, an issue that arises frequently is the challenge of sex and timing. Sometimes the...

Are you one of those people who don’t like to be touched? Do you get a little queasy when someone moves in for a hug? Does the idea of...

Not feeling “in the mood”? You’re not the only one. So many women feel confused, frustrated, guilt-ridden, annoyed, or discouraged-...