Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Papp.
Molly, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started out with a BS in business marketing but after the recession hit in 2009, I was jobless and working as a waitress on the west side of LA. After trying my hand at acting as well as trying to score a marketing job, I was miserable and stuck. So I asked myself, what did I really want to do with my life? It wasn’t marketing or acting. I knew I loved talking to people for a living and I always loved talking about relationships (but didn’t want to be a server forever), so I decided to become a sex therapist. I called about 50 sex therapists in CA and asked them how to get their career. They told me I had to go back to school first and get a degree in some form of counseling and also additional training in sex therapy. So off I went and completed a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in addition to a Master’s Degree in Public Health with an emphasis in Human Sexuality. After 3000 hours of supervised counseling, I became a licensed therapist and began my career in private/group practice. Become a CSAT (certified sex addiction therapist) came later after I was already a licensed therapist.
Has it been a smooth road?
It’s been a pretty smooth but long road. There are not a lot of sex-therapy based graduate schools so finding one was hard. I ended up at the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality and it was the most eye-opening experience of my life. I have literally seen and heard about almost every sex act possible! I have no regrets, but I do wish I had known this process would take about 7 years from start to finish, not just the 3 needed for school.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I work as a therapist specializing in sexual issues, from sexual dysfunction to sex addiction. I also treat partners of addicts and those unable to enjoy or have sex due to past trauma. I work with a lot of women but also men struggling with unfulfilling sex lives. My goal is to help my clients lead their best life, specifically their ideal sex life. I am most proud of my wide range of expertise and non-judgmental attitude.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I had an amazing supervisor, Mari Lee, who is a CSAT. She helped guide and support me during the process towards becoming certified in sex addiction. In regards to my work with sex therapy, I used a lot of the resources from the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (books mostly, and videos). But really it was my friends in my grad school program and my internships that really guided and helped me. We swapped stories, cried together after difficult sessions, and generally provided each other with the support to go on during that long 7-year process toward licensure.
Pricing:
- $100-150 for a session (do not accept insurance, I am only an out-of-network provider).
Contact Info:
- Address: 6272 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Suite D, Long Beach, CA 90806
- Phone: 310-405-1896
- Email: [email protected]
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