Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Lachman.
Hi Matthew, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I always knew I wanted to be in the mental health field. My journey has taken me through many disciplines and across the United States, only to lead me back to the place where I grew up and love, Cleveland, OH. My first passion, sports psychology, took me to a top program in Statesboro, Georgia. Heading to the Deep South was a huge culture shock for me. Georgia Southern University provided me with a phenomenal experience that challenged me on multiple levels. I graduated with my Master of Science degree and immediately went into my Counselor Education graduate program. I had a human sexuality course during that graduate program, and I remember liking it. I didn’t know then how important that course was going to be to my future. After completing both of my graduate programs (one in the Summer of 2014 and the other in the Winter of 2015), I knew my heart belonged in Ohio. So, I moved back home and took employment at the Cleveland Clinic as a behavioral health therapist. While working here, I was able to explore more about myself as a human and also how that connected to my identity as a therapist. This is when I found my way back to human sexuality. I noticed my passion for feminism and sex positivity growing with each interaction I would have with someone. I began to challenge my own privilege and unravel the years of shame I had built up regarding sexuality. I could not stop researching and talking about the topics within sex therapy (e.g., sexual dysfunctions, kink, polyamory, sexual compulsivity, etc.), so I decided I had to do something about it.
You see, sex therapy is not a protected term. That means that anyone can go around calling themselves a sex therapist, and they may not have any training at all. Thankfully, I found my way to the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, & Therapists (AASECT). This organization provided me with the pathway to achieve the education I needed and certification. I opened up my practice, Cleveland Sex Therapy, in 2019, became a certified sex therapist in 2021, and started supervising new clinicians that same year. Finally, I have found my place in this world as a therapist, and I could not be happier.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Some of my biggest challenges happened during graduate school. As much as I loved sport psychology, I found out pretty quickly towards the end of my program that it was not for me. It was hard to not shame myself for making this life-changing decision and uprooting my life to go into a program that I ended up doing little with these days. But as I tell my clients, we can’t critique our past selves for not knowing what we know today. I loved that program and the people in it. It brought me to Georgia Southern University and eventually to the Counselor Education program with which I learned a lot of the skills that I use today.
Becoming a licensed clinician and certified sex therapist came with some unique struggles. As most clinicians will tell you, finding a great supervisor is key to feeling confident in your work. Unfortunately, my supervisors were a mixed bag. You can learn a lot from how people treat you as a young clinician. Thankfully, I was able to shed the ones who were providing me with inadequate supervision and keep the ones who pointed me in the right, ethical direction.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I opened Cleveland Sex Therapy in 2019 with the goal of providing therapy and sex education centered around all aspects of human sexuality. Cleveland Sex Therapy’s mission is simple: I want to nurture sex positivity and inclusivity amongst all my clients. We live in a world where sex negativity is rampant. If you do not prescribe to monogamy and are not heterosexual, you can feel this immense pressure to conform to ideologies you do not agree with in this world. It can be frustrating.
I tell people all the time that shame is a parasite. It latches onto us, drains us, reprograms us, and lives in the shadows of our souls, waiting for its next moment to attack. Luckily, we all have the antidote. Talking about your thoughts and feelings can shine a light on your shame and push it out of your system. When it comes to sexuality, physical intimacy, and sexual health, there is no one way that someone has to live for it to be considered “normal” or “natural.” My mission is to help everyone understand this and create a life that aligns with their true, authentic self.
Cleveland Sex Therapy offers individual and relationship therapy. We specialize in queer theory, polyamory, and kink. As a cis gay male, I love working with other members of my community and want to provide as much of a road map to having a sex-positive, shame-free life as I can for them.
What does success mean to you?
Success is defined by feeling confident in one’s ability to achieve the goals they set for themselves. Success for me is knowing that I am creating a life centered around my values of empathy, hard work, and giving back. As corny as it sounds, and trust me, I know this sounds really corny, but because I am doing something that I love, it does not feel like work to me.
Pricing:
- Individual Therapy, $165
- Relationship Therapy, $175
- Sliding Scale, $90-175
- I accept some insurance
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.clevelandsextherapy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clevelandsextherapy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClevelandSexTherapy/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@clevelandsextherapy
- Other: https://www.sexpositivetherapy.org/
