Margaret Li Aghaeepour, Psy.D., CST

I am proud to be one of the few Asian American AASECT certified sex therapists across the US, and maybe the only one providing sex therapy in Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese Chinese in the whole United States. Let's say this is not a career path people from my cultural background would normally pursue. Become a sex therapist was not a light choice, it is a choice motivated by my past pain, values, and the silent struggles of sexual wellness in the Asian American community. In my early years of clinical training, I shared frustration with many of my individuals and couples facing relational and sexual challenges. There was a lot of shame and stigma (unfortunately there is still a lot nowadays!) associated with unhappy marriage and sex. Many times, when my clients expressed concerns about sexual dysfunction, pornography, or intimacy, I wish I had the skills and knowledge to help them heal instead of referring them out to a sex therapist. The referral process was especially hard for my clients of Asian American descent and immigrant clients. They already had mustered up their courage to raise these concerns. Talking with a new therapist about their marriage and sexual concerns was unimaginable. The referral process was extremely difficult for my monolingual Chinese speaking clients. This was the driving force of me developing a specialty in relationship and sex therapy. I am committed to make sex therapy more accessible to the Asian American community.