Sex and couple problems are quite common, and can often involve both biological and psychological factors. Currently, it is primarily psychologists and other mental health professions who assess, counsel, and treat these problems, however recommendations will be made for medical assessments when necessary. In therapy, a psychologist will address both the cause of the problem, and the impact it has on the well being of individuals and couples.

Most of the therapists are licensed doctoral level psychologists who have specialized training and experience in sex and couple therapy. Because our service is part of the McGill University Health Center, there are also interns/residents who provide treatment and are closely supervised by senior staff as part of their training.

Usually, we recommend that you come with a partner if you have one. In some circumstances you may choose to come alone. You are probably the best judge for the assessment appointment. Whether you should come alone or with your partner for treatment is usually discussed during the assessment session.

We can often help if you don’t have a partner or are avoiding getting involved in relationships. If you are concerned about this, please ask your therapist during the initial assessment appointment.

If you have a flexible schedule then it should not take more than 2-3 weeks. For reasons which are not clear to us, some times of the year are much busier than others.

Yes, you can. Unfortunately, it is sometimes hard to differentiate between very useful and accurate self-help materials and out of date or inaccurate hype. After an adequate assessment appointment, we can guide you to the best self-help for you.

You can call our secretary Judi Young at (514) 398-6094 (judi@hebb.psych.mcgill.ca). If Judi cannot answer your question, she will put you in touch with someone who can.

No, you can refer yourself. However, if you wish your fees to be covered by insurance then you might require a referral.

The fee for Sex and Couple Therapy is $­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­55 per session. This is far below private practice rates. However, a sliding scale is available depending on income. Please call our secretary, Judi (514) 398-6094, to determine the cost. Any recommended medical assessments are free.

We do not treat children/minors. There is, however, no upper age limit. In fact, it is now quite common for individuals/couples in their sixties, seventies and eighties to consult us in order to improve their sex lives or relationships.

Yes, you can (please see our staff list). Our secretary, Judi, (514) 398-6094 will often be able to provide you with information concerning the availabilities of particular therapists.

Yes, you can. Currently, most of our staff are women (see staff list) so that if you request a male, this may result in some delay.

Generally, appointments are made Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. Evening appointments are also available.

Almost all kinds of sexual problems are treated for both men and women. Common sexual dysfunctions include lack of or reduced desire or interest, arousal difficulties, erection problems, difficulties reaching orgasm, premature and delayed ejaculation, pain during intercourse or other sexual activities, inability to have intercourse, and conflicts with partners about sexual frequency or specific sexual activities.

In addition to treatment for sexual dysfunction there is counseling available for issues relating to sexual orientation, gender identity/dysphoria, problematic sexual behavior/feelings, sexual trauma and abuse, and sexual difficulties related to illness or medication. We do provide counseling and treatment for non-standard types of sexual arousal (e.g. S&M, exhibitionism etc) but we do not liaise with the courts.

Counseling and treatment are available for the full range of couple and relationship issues. These can range from differences over child rearing and domestic responsibilities to conflict over communication, commitment, and intimacy. We also often counsel concerning issues relating to infidelity, separation and divorce. Our orientation, however, is to try to help repair relationships rather than facilitating separation or divorce. We do not do mediation counseling.

Often, the quality of one’s sex life is closely linked to the quality of one’s relationship with a partner and vice versa. Other times, however, they appear to be quite independent. This needs to be carefully evaluated.

Yes, they are very common. Some estimates suggest that up to 50% of individuals and/or couples in North America experience significant and prolonged marital distress or sexual concerns.

Our therapeutic approach is multi-disciplinary and varies according to the particular problem or client. Included in the approaches we provide are traditional Masters & Johnson type sex therapy, systems oriented couple/marital therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and medical intervention. Because we are part of a major teaching/research center, we are up to date concerning recent developments and innovations. We are also a major research center for the study of sexual and couple problems/treatments (see www.binik-lab.com).

No, we welcome gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual and intersexual clients.

Counseling is typically provided in scheduled sessions with a therapist. These sessions usually involve a therapist meeting with an individual or couple. We also provide group counseling and psycho-educational formats for couple enhancement (see-Making Love Better: The Secret to a Successful Relationship) or for specific problems such sexual/genital pain/vulvar vestibulitis Please contact our secretary Judi (514) 398-6094 for more information 

It is very difficult to predict how long treatment will take without an adequate evaluation. Sometimes a few sessions are enough to solve a problem. Other times it might take many months.

It is often initially difficult to talk to a stranger about your intimate life. Our staff is very used to this and typically able to put clients at ease very quickly.

An initial assessment appointment will usually allow you to better identify a problem, evaluate its causes, learn about potential treatments and decide whether you want to pursue treatment. It will also provide you with an opportunity to ask a highly trained therapist questions about which you have been concerned.

All patients seen at the hospital must have the MUHC i.e. a Montreal General card. If you do not have one the medicare number is used until you do. This number is only used to inform for statistical reporting purposes. It is not used to identify anyone.

The MGH and RVH are now part of one larger hospital system called the MUHC. The MGH card is used for both sites. There are no more RVH cards.

All patients seen at the hospital must ultimately have an MGH hospital card and an address is required to register hospital patients to get this card.

We do not give out personal information about our therapists, however, if you go to our website www.sexandcoupletherapy.com there is either a description or picture of each therapist working in our Service.

This depends on a number of factors most importantly how many people are seen at any given time of the year. In the fall and early winter the waiting times are usually negligible. Over the summer they get longer. If after your evaluation meeting your therapist recommends treatment, please ask for an estimate of how long it is likely to take. If you are readily available during the day, this will minimize your waiting time. If you can only come at very specific or limited times, this will increase waiting.