Oct 152012
 

This Friday on Sex Out Loud I talk to renowned sex therapist and author Dr. Marty Klein about his latest book, Sexual Intelligence: What We Really Want From Sex and How To Get It. He’ll share some of the book’s provocative prescriptions for a better sex life, and talk about why he writes that sex technique workshops aren’t helpful. Through his extensive therapy practice, Dr. Klein will reveal what his clients have taught him about sex. Then he’ll answer listener questions submitted especially for this episode on topics including low sex drive, erotic incompatibility, rape fantasies, and erectile dysfunction. Listen to see if he answers yours!

Dr. Marty Klein has been a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Certified Sex Therapist for 31 years. He has aimed his entire career toward a single set of goals: telling the truth about sexuality, helping people feel sexually adequate & powerful, and supporting the healthy sexual expression and exploration of women and men.

Marty pursues his goal of a sexually enlightened world through therapy, lectures, writing, lobbying, media, and forensic (courtroom) work.

Marty has authored over 100 articles in publications such as Parents, New Woman, and Playboy, as well as San Francisco Medicine, the California Therapist, and the Journal of Homosexuality. He is a former contributing editor to The New Physician, American Baby, and Modern Bride, and he is quoted every year in dozens of national publications and websites, such as The New Yorker and Huffington Post.

Marty has written six books:

Your Sexual Secrets: When to Keep Them, When & How to Tell
Ask Me Anything: Dr. Klein Answers the Sex Questions You’d Love To Ask
Beyond Orgasm: Dare to be Honest About the Sex You Really Want
Let Me Count the Ways: Great Sex Beyond Intercourse
America’s War On Sex: The Attack on Law, Lust, & Liberty
Sexual Intelligence: What We Really Want From Sex, And How to Get It

His books have been acclaimed by everyone from USA Today and The California Therapist to Penn & Teller and the Playboy Advisor. Published in eleven languages, his books have been excerpted in national magazines, and cited in the popular and professional press. Marty also has chapters in several professional books, such as The Handbook of Clinical Child Psychology and Treating Sexual Disorders.

A popular guest on the electronic media, Marty has been featured on radio in over 100 cities, and on national TV programs like 20/20 and Nightline. His blog is widely quoted, and his electronic newsletter, Sexual Intelligence, goes to 5,000 subscribers every month.

Marty is that rare professional: truly expert in his subject, comfortable on live TV and in front of audiences, and extremely funny. His wit and expertise make him a frequently-quoted expert appearing in Newsweek, the New York Times, and even Ann Landers.

A tireless speaker, Marty has given over 700 keynote speeches, training programs, and popular lectures to groups including the American College of Surgeons, First Amendment Lawyers’ Association, Lutheran Family & Children’s Services, Miami Women’s Hospital, National Association of Social Workers, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists, American Library Association, Stanford University Medical School, and over 50 colleges across the country.

Marty’s accomplishments are also recognized abroad: he has trained professionals in two dozen countries, including China, Turkey, India, Israel, Morocco, Croatia, and Russia. He has been given honorary membership in a variety of international professional associations.

Marty fights for the sexual rights of all Americans through his legal and courtroom work. He has been an expert witness, consultant, or invited plaintiff in many state and federal censorship, internet, and obscenity cases.

Known and respected by his colleagues, Marty has been elected a national board member of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality. Marty has also been honored by the California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists. His book America’s War On Sex was honored as Book of the Year by the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, & Therapists.

As a clinician, Marty works each week with couples and individuals who have a variety of sexual and non-sexual difficulties–over 30,000 sessions since 1980. He also provides consultations to other therapists, and supervises their cases. Marty lives in Northern California with his wife, cactus garden, and enormous collection of rock ‘n’ roll albums.

You can read Marty’s books in the following editions:

  • Chinese
  • Croatian
  • French
  • German
  • Indonesian
  • Italian
  • Polish
  • Portugese
  • Russian
  • Spanish

You can read Marty’s articles in these publications:

  • American Baby
  • American Journal of Sexuality Education
  • The California Therapist
  • Contemporary Sexuality
  • Forum
  • Healthline
  • Journal of Homosexuality
  • Journal of Sex Research
  • Mademoiselle
  • McCalls
  • Men’s Fitness
  • Men’s Guide to Fashion
  • Men’s Health
  • Men’s Journal
  • Modern Bride
  • Muscle Media
  • New Age Journal
  • The New Physician
  • New Woman
  • Parents
  • Playboy
  • San Francisco Medicine
  • The SIECUS Report
  • West
  • Weight Watchers
May 042012
 

Cyndi's amazing classic car

We arrived at the Melbourne Airport and Cyndi Darnell, sex therapist, counselor, sex educator, and creator of Pleasure Salon Melbourne, picked us up at the airport. We’d met her in Sydney at Xplore and connected right away. Cyndi drove us in her classic car, which turns heads wherever it goes. She took us to where we’d be staying, the home of Fiona Patten, the CEO of the Eros Association, Inc. (Australia’s national adult retail and entertainment trade association) and the head of the Australian Sex Party, a progressive political party that supports free speech, the adult industry, sex workers’ rights, comprehensive sex education, gender equality, same sex marriage, decriminalization of drugs, and more. Fiona is a total bad ass: a smart, articulate, radical, multitasking whirlwind of sex-positive politics. It’s inspiring to be in her presence. She was super busy taking media calls and preparing for her presentation at The 2012 Atheist Convention, which took place at the same time we were in Melbourne. Fiona took us to a wonderful dinner out with two adult industry distributors and an American who was in town for AdultEx. We talked about legal issues surrounding selling and distributing porn in Australia, politics, and the Bong Task Force (the SNL skit writes itself).

The window display at Hares and Hyenas

The next day, Cyndi picked us up and we headed to Fitzroy, the artsy neighborhood of Melbourne. We went to Hares and Hyenas, an LGBT bookstore that’s been in busy for over 20 years. I was shocked to see that the entire window display was devoted to my books! It was beautiful, and I felt honored. It’s an amazing shop, and we scooped up lots of local books and magazines, including Dude Magazine, Dirty Queer Magazine, f2m: The Boy Within, and The Drag Queen Baby Name Book (a gift for friends who are expecting). We met the owners, Rowland and Crusader, who were wonderfully warm and charming. We went to another great bookstore, PolyEster Books (“world’s freakiest bookstore”), which carried tons of great sex books, including those from small and obscure presses, I was very impressed. I would later regret just how many books I bought as I dragged them back to the States (they weighed a ton!). Then, we went to some art galleries, which were closed for various unexpected reasons. Ah, artists. But it didn’t matter, really, because there was so much amazing street art throughout the neighborhood.

Just one example of the amazing street art in Melbourne

That night was my first presentation for Pleasure Salon Melbourne. It was simply an amazing night. There were about 150 people there.

A view from the audience at my Pleasure Salon Melbourne talk (photo courtesy of msnaughty.com)

I spoke for about 45 minutes, then we had intermission. Rowland from Hares and Hyenas was there with cartons of books, and by the end of intermission, he had sold out of several titles! It was totally overwhelming.

My books (photo courtesy of msnaughty.com)

At the end of the evening, I stayed as audience members waited almost an hour to have their books signed by me. Each person I met told me a little something about themselves, and they were all fantastic. Fiona Patten and friends were there. There was a pack of adorable queers, including Kit, Louise, and Lauren from D.VICE, a lesbian-owned sex-positive sex shop in New Zealand and Australia. Two of them had me autograph their boobs. It was my pleasure. I finally got to meet several women in person who I’ve corresponded with by email or Skype, including sex therapist Sandra Pertot, who wrote an amazing book called When Your Sex Drives Don’t Match. I met Lyndal Coon, whose new book Sexual Biversity: Loving My Bisexual Husband was just released and sex-positive coach Chantelle Austin, author of The Essential Guide for Adventurous Couples…Who Want to Explore Threesomes, Foursomes, and Moresomes. All the sex and porn people were there: Anna Brownfield (winner of a Feminist Porn Award for The Band), feminist pornographers Ms. Naughty from ForTheGirls.com (who blogged about my talk) and Gala Vanting, Blair from Adult Voyeur, a spunky, gorgeous performer named Angela White, and blogger Ultra Hedonist.

I was blown away by the audience at Pleasure Salon Melbourne. It was overwhelming, actually. Thanks to each and every person who came, asked questions, introduced themselves, and supported me and the local sex-positive community.