Today we’d like to introduce you to Moushumi Ghose.
Hi Moushumi, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was always a creative from a young age – whether it was making clothes, writing lyrics, playing piano, reading tons of books. I might have continued my music studies or done creative writing, but my traditional South Asian (India) parents wanted me to go to school, get an education and study business or something so I could have a more solid and stable career.
The helping professions always seemed less stuffy to me. I never wanted to sit behind a desk. So I opted to get my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from San Franciso State University and after graduation, I ended up working as a job coach for developmentally disabled adults. But, I really wanted to do something more creative. Eventually, I made my way Los Angeles to do just that. A friend gave me a dream job in creative services at a tech company, which led to an even dreamier job of being the Production Manager for a start-up that developed streaming online music in the very early days of the dot-com boom.
When the tech industry began to shift, I returned to my social services roots and got a Master of Art’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and then my license to practice therapy from the California Board of Behavioral Science.
Between LA and SF, I worked with a variety of populations and diverse lifestyles, including HIV/AIDS, sexual abuse survivors, foster systems, and children in day treatment and school settings.
Finally, in 2007, I opened a solo practice turning her focus towards advocating for sexual health and lifestyles working in private practice with couples, specializing in sex, sexuality, LGBTQ/gender issues and alternative lifestyles and working as a sex therapist.
I used my platform as a sex therapist to become a multi-media artist and pleasure activist, writing three books on sex and relationships, created video & film entities including The Sex Talk Series on Youtube and Temples and Brothels, Documentary Series, and an online school Sex Therapy University. I also hosted the “Sex Love & RocknRoll” podcast and Sexy Saturdays at The Liberace Penthouse workshops.
In 2009, I started to create Los Angeles Sex Therapy (LAST). I had an idea to build a collective of therapists, educators and coaches who center healthier attitudes around sexuality with special attention given to the experiences of BIPOC, LGBTQIA, Kink, Poly/Ethically Non Monogamous, and Sex Workers.
LAST promotes inclusivity and sex positivity.
In 2020, something I had always wanted happened, LAST became 100% virtual, thanks to a worldwide pandemic.
I have served as an adjunct faculty at Alliant International University, California School of Professional Psychology, and Pacific Oaks College in Los Angeles, CA.
I have been a featured contributor in various publications and media outlets including Mens Fitness, Huffington Post, Elite Daily, Oprah Magazine, Hustler, Vice, Elle Magazine, Refinery 29, Playboy TV, Investigation Discoveries, Oxygen Network, Hollywood Entertainment Today, CBS and many more.
I still write music for a variety of entities including my own project Ghosha and a currently a new project called The Depressionistas. I have directed and edited numerous music videos as well.
Today my day-to-day consists of writing music, writing memoirs, of overseeing LAST, selling my courses, and hanging out with my partner and our two cats. I split my time between Portland, Oregon and LA.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course, it is a long and rough road. So many twists and turns. It’s all part of the evolution of being a business owner.
I started out as a sex-psychotherapist with a solo private practice in 2007. IN 2009, I hired a couple of therapists to work at my practice with me, but I never stopped seeing clients. I was trying to do it all: seeing clients, playing music, hosting a podcast, writing books, making a film, and supervising the therapists and long story short, while I loved the creative aspects of the work, I got burnt out!
So, in 2014, I closed my practice and moved to NYC to just focus on writing my books, making a film, and making music.
Well, then I came back to LA when my money ran out and re-opened my practice in 2017 – because it was my livelihood, my bread and butter. My films, books, music all depended on my income from being a therapist. Well, I started seeing clients and the practice built right back up and suddenly I was back, I was heading for burnout again!
So in 2019, I decided to couldn’t just close my practice again, I had to do something drastically different. So I completely changed my business model. I began by hiring pre-licensed therapists again. Yes, I had done this before, but this time I did it with the intent of stepping down from doing direct-service. I would slowly stop seeing as many clients and leave time to build an actual business. It only took me 12 years since opening my practice the first time to figure this part out! Since 2019, I have been slowly stepping down from doing therapy to doing more of the things I love: educating on a larger scale!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about L.A.S.T – Los Angeles Sex Therapy?
I now oversee Los Angeles Sex Therapy or LAST, we are a 100% virtual psychotherapy and coaching practice that specializes in sex-positive psychotherapy, sex therapy, and coaching.
We center the experiences and lives of BIPOC, Queer, LGBTQ, sex workers, adult performers, kink, polyamorous/ethically non-monogamous and BDSM.
We have therapists, coaches with a wide variety of experiences who offer a wide range of options when it comes to caring for your mental health and relationships. We offer a variety of fees and scheduling. We have something for everyone when it comes to taking care of your mental health and your relationships, whether they be intimate, sexual or otherwise.
I also host a podcast on Youtube called The Sex Talk Series, going on 10 years now.
My books are all available on Amazon. I have courses through my online school, Sex Therapy University. And my first film Temples and Brothels is available to stream online.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
If there is something you want to do, do it now! Don’t wait for the “right” time. Everything will evolve and grow, everything will change and morph, so get started on that thing you want to do today. Do not wait!!
Pricing:
- Sex Therapy, Psychotherapy and Coaching Services $125-$300 per session
- Courses $47 and up
Contact Info:
- Email: info@
losangelessextherapy.com - Website: www.
losangelessextherapy.com - Instagram: instagram.com/
losangelessextherapy - Facebook: facebook.com/
losangelessextherapy - Twitter: twitter.com/
moushumighose - Youtube: youtube.com/
thesextalkwebseries - Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/
biz/moushumi-ghose-mft-los- angeles-sex-therapy-toluca- lake-2 - Other: http://sex-therapy-
university.teachable.com
