ABOUT US
Our mission at AVID Intimacy is to embolden and equip people to access the transformative power of intimacy—within themselves and their relationships.
Through expert, sex-positive therapy, we help clients explore their needs, wants and desires, strip away shame, deepen connection, and live more fully alive in their bodies, hearts, and lives.
WE ARE…
ETERNAL SEEKERS
We are constantly seeking. We believe curiosity is the antidote to judgment. Whether we’re exploring a stuck point, a new desire, or an old wound, we approach it with open-hearted inquiry.
ACTIVELY COMPASSIONATE
We believe everyone is worthy of love, connection, and care—just as they are. We are asking our clients to show us their most tender parts. It’s only fair we handle those parts with the compassion they need.
RELENTLESS PURSUERS
We don’t shy away from the hard stuff—we are tenacoius helping people push past fear, shame, and disconnection to build the lives and relationships they crave. Put simply: we don’t believe in settling
CREATORS OF COMMUNITY
Intimacy doesn’t happen in isolation. Nor does healing or growth. We foster a sense of community and belonging in every session, conversation, and collaboration.
MAJOR PLAYERS
We play our way to positive, new experiences. Playfulness helps us soften resistance, access pleasure, and remember that healing can be a vibrant, life-affirming experience.
OUR THERAPISTS
-
LENA ELKHATIB, LMFT, CST (she/her)
FOUNDER OF AVID INTIMACY
RELATIONSHIP & SEX THERAPISTClinical Interests:
Sex & intimacy issues
Mismatched Desire
Sexual shame recovery
Sexual & relational self exploration
Religion and sexuality
Infidelity recovery
Postpartum sexuality
Kink & BDSM exploration
Non-monogamous lifestyles -
RACHEL SCHWARTZ, LMFT (she/her)
DIRECTOR OF TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
INDIVIDUAL, RELATIONSHIP & SEX THERAPISTClinical Interests:
Identity Work
Intimacy Concerns
Desire Discrepancy
Infidelity
Aging
Life Transitions
Religious Exploration/Unpacking
Women’s Health
Men’s Health -
RACHEL ZAR, PhD, LMFT, CST (she/her)
CLINICAL DIRECTOR
INDIVIDUAL, RELATIONSHIP & SEX THERAPISTClinical Interests:
Sex & intimacy issues
Painful sex/chronic pelvic pain
Trauma & complex trauma
Sexual & relational self exploration
Desire discrepancy
Low libido/arousal
Life transitions -
SARA MARSHA. NCC, LCPC
INDIVIDUAL, RELATIONSHIP & SEX THERAPIST EMDR TRAINED THERAPIST
Clinical Interests:
EMDR Therapy
Trauma Recovery
Couples/Relational Therapy
Sex & Intimacy Issues
Identity Development
Individual Therapy
LGBTQIA+/Queer Relationships -
LIBBY EBERT, LMFT, CST (she/her)
INDIVIDUAL, RELATIONSHIP & SEX THERAPIST
Clinical Interests:
Erotic conflict
LGBTIA+ and Queer-affirmative therapy
Interracial Partnerships
BIPOC identities
Mixed Orientation Partnerships
Kink, paraphilias, and BDSM
Sexual Shame
Trauma
Nonmonogamy/polyamory
Modern Dating -
LAYLA TAHMASSEBI, MA (they/them)
INDIVIDUAL, RELATIONSHIP & SEX THERAPIST
Clinical Interests:
Uncomfortable/painful sex
Somatic sex therapy
Kink/BDSM
Non-monogamy/polyamory
LGBTQIA+ individuals/relationships
Anxiety
OCD & Sexuality -
KELSEY BALDWIN, MFT (she/her)
INDIVIDUAL, RELATIONSHIP & SEX THERAPIST
Clinical Interests:
Relationship Conflict
Trauma Recovery
Sex and Intimacy Issues
Desire Discrepancy
Unaddressed Attachment Wounds
Infidelity Recovery -
JEN MENDE, MA (she/they)
INDIVIDUAL, RELATIONSHIP & SEX THERAPIST
Clinical Interests:
Trauma recovery
Self-compassion
Identity exploration
Relational awareness and communication
Body image concerns
LGBTQIA+ individuals/relationships
Latine/x issues, machismo & marianismo -
CHARLES KIMBALL, AMFT (he/him)
INDIVIDUAL, RELATIONSHIP & SEX THERAPIST
Clinical Interests:
Men’s sexuality
Sex & Intimacy issues
Trauma recovery
Relationship Conflict
Self-Esteem & Self-Confidence -
MIRSADIES RABER-DUNNING, AMFT (she/they)
INDIVIDUAL, RELATIONSHIP & SEX THERAPIST
Clinical Interests:
Sex & Intimacy issues
Communication issues
LGBTQIA+ relationships
Non-monogamy/polyamory
Life transitions
Identity development/exploration -
SOPHIE TOBIN, AMFT (she/her)
INDIVIDUAL, RELATIONSHIP AND SEX THERAPIST
Clinical Interests:
Sex & intimacy issues
LGBTQIA+ relationships
Non-monogamy/polyamory
Neurodivergence
Kink & BDSM
Sexual shame -
VITO RIZZI, AMFT (he/him)
INDIVIDUAL, RELATIONSHIP & SEX THERAPIST
Clinical Interests:
Polyamory/CNM Dynamics
Infidelity Recovery
Intimacy Concerns
ADHD/Neurodivergence
Men’s Mental Health
Depression and Anxiety
Kink/BDSM
Discernment -
NADINE ABDELRAHIM (she/her)
RELATIONSHIP & SEX THERAPY INTERN
Clinical Interests:
LGBTQIA+ Relationships
High Conflict Relationships
Sexual Trauma
BDSM & Kink
Non-Monogamy
Identity Exploration
