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SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—Riviera Therapy owner Jenn Kennedy says the pandemic created a massive spike in the need for mental health services.

A local banker helped Kennedy make the switch from leasing to owning, which has allowed Riviera Therapy to hire more staff and expand to a second location.

Kennedy’s clinics have five areas of specialty including teens and young adults, the LGBTQ community, parenting, addiction, and even sex therapy.

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A FFF threesome is group sex involving three people who identify as female. This type of threesome involves female-female sexual activity between some or all of the participants. It can have several dynamics, such as everyone interacting sexually, one person focusing on two people, two people focusing on one person, or two people interacting sexually while the third person watches them. It is sometimes called an FFF threeway, a lesbian threesome, or a lesbian threeway.

Empathy is the ability to recognize what others are feeling emotionally. Some people feel they have an extra helping of empathy and may consider themselves empaths.

The term “empath” is often used in popular culture to describe people who may be highly empathetic or sensitive, but this description doesn’t currently have a lot of viable scientific research behind it.

Still, some studies around empathy, in general, imply highly empathetic people experience emotions differently from others.

Experts share what alarming signs and behaviors to look out for during the holidays and how to evaluate whether they’re relationship deal breakers.

The holidays can be stressful for relationships — especially when that mistletoe is adorned with red flags. Experts share what relationship red flags to watch out for during the holidays and why they shouldn’t be ignored.

For those in a new relationship, the holidays can be a make-it-or-break-it time of year. There’s a lot of cultural pressure to be in a picture-perfect union and introduce your partner to your closest family and friends.

While lovesickness isn’t an official diagnosis, love, or lost love, can have physical symptoms.

It may sound like the stuff of fairytales and rom-coms, but love and love loss can leave you feeling mentally and physically unwell. If you’ve ever had your heart broken, lost someone you love, or fallen in love with someone who didn’t feel the same way, you may have experienced lovesickness.

Someone you know just dropped some news: their marriage is ending. Whether or not you expected it, knowing what to say to someone going through a divorce is tough.

“When it comes to finding the right words to say to someone going through a divorce, often people stumble because they want to support their loved one, but culturally, divorce has been stigmatized and shamed,” says Olivia Dreizen Howell, the CEO and co-founder of the divorce registry, Fresh Starts Registry.

In some cases, a delusionship can refer to a relationship that isn’t rooted in reality at all. It describes “a dynamic where one partner is literally deluding themself about the status of the relationship,” said Jenn Kennedy, Ph.D., a licensed marriage and family therapist and the founder of the Pleasure Project and Riviera Therapy in Santa Barbara, California.

“They typically think the relationship is more important or the other person is more committed than what is actually happening,” Kennedy said.

It’s not just a case of your brain on hot people acting up.

Whether this is your first time buying a sex toy or you’re looking for something new to spice up bedroom play, treat yourself to powerful vibrations and stimulation — courtesy of the best body-safe devices on the market.

No one knows your body like you do, but even you might want to experiment with what you like. We’ve rounded up some of the best sex toys for women, from cult-favorite wand vibrators (Magic Wand, IYKYK) to glass dildos that look like a work of art. We’ve scoured the internet’s best sex toy shops for clit-sucking vibrators, rabbit vibrators, anal toys, whisper-quiet vibrators, and the all-around best adult sex toys. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your masturbation routine, incorporate toys into partnered sex, or generally upgrade your sex life, there’s something here for you.

Turns out, being lazy can be a good thing. Although it may feel counterintuitive to slow down and take a step back from your usual grind, science shows there are many physical, mental and emotional benefits to letting go of structure and routine from time to time.

Jenn Kennedy, a Santa Barbara-based licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of the Pleasure Project, tells Yahoo Life that these findings are sound when compared to her clinical experience.

“Clients who engage in these activities (yoga, meditation, tai chi, qigong, breath work, prayer) present as more centered and regulated,” she notes, adding that she’s seen “amazing results” when it comes to treating depression and anxiety. “They also tend to be less defensive and more hopeful. They develop breath muscle memory that seems more accessible during stressful situations, and they are able to calm themselves when faced with difficulty or frustration. They also sleep better, which likely helps with blood pressure, heart health and anxiety.”

Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles benefits more than just sexual pleasure—for men, too.

“They help strengthen the pelvic floor, which plays a big role in sexual health and vitality,” said Jenn Kennedy, Ph.D., L.M.F.T., a sexologist and the founder of The Pleasure Project and Riviera Therapy, in Santa Barbara, California. “In addition to sexual performance, a strong pelvic floor can also help with issues around urinary or fecal incontinence.”

Side effects can be debilitating for women, but there are ways to battle sexual dysfunction.

Goldfarb and Jenn Kennedy, Ph.D., a sex and couples therapist at Riviera Therapy in Santa Barbara, California, have four important pieces of advice for women undergoing treatment for cancer.

1. Recognize body image concerns
“Body image is a loud, internal critic,” said Kennedy, adding that working through and reducing negative thoughts that get in the way of sexual desire, such as hair loss, is common.

She suggested patients find support groups or group therapy sessions because they can be empowering and will help to normalize their feelings.

It’s normal for your sex drive to ebb and flow over time, but if you’re never in the mood for sex, you might be wondering what you can do about it. Just as there are many reasons behind why people may experience low libido—from aging and fluctuating hormone levels to chronic stress—there are a number of ways to improve your sex drive.

One small study of heterosexual women found a link between body dissatisfaction and impaired sexual desire. Exercise is also helpful for low desire that is rooted in body image, says Jenn Kennedy, Ph.D., a board-certified sex therapist and founder of The Pleasure Project and Riviera Therapy in Santa Barbara, California. That’s because movement helps elevate mood, which can help with desire, she says.

Seeking support for low libido is never a bad idea, says Dr. Kennedy. A medical health care provider can screen for biological issues involving blood pressure, thyroid and hormones, she says. And whether the cause is medical, a sex therapist can help unpack issues including when low sex drive happens, whether there’s been a shift in functioning and interventions to address it, says Dr. Kennedy.

Sex talk is often taboo, but licensed marriage and family therapist Jenn Kennedy is changing that through a new group therapy program.

Kennedy, the owner of Riviera Therapy in Santa Barbara, has launched The Pleasure Project, a six-week program “for women to cultivate an erotic template.”

A group of about six women meet virtually online to talk about sex, with a focus on sexual satisfaction with themselves and their partner.

Many researchers and sex therapists believe that watching too much porn can cause ED, or at least contribute to erectile problems. ‘Porn-induced Erectile Dysfunction’ (PIED) is the label used to describe this sexual dysfunction. Other medical and mental health professionals believe that watching porn does not cause ED directly. Feelings of guilt or shame, performance anxiety (developed due to unrealistic expectations) or sexual exhaustion are often blamed for ED.

In both cases, if you’re suffering from ED and you fear that it might be related to excessive porn use, there are things that you can do to treat your ED.

In this comprehensive article, we’ll give you an overview of the possible connection between porn and erectile dysfunction, before discussing treatment options for erectile dysfunction.

Riviera Therapy in downtown Santa Barbara has expanded its services in recent years and developed specialties unique to Santa Barbara.

Owned by Jenn Kennedy, who has a doctorate in sexology, the psychotherapy practice specialized in sex therapy, sex addiction and sexuality (LGBT).

“I work with a lot of couple who are wanting a better sex life and/or repairing from challenging breaches in fidelity,” Kennedy said. “Almost no one does this work in our area, and we have scaled up to a thriving practice the past six years.”

The company, at 1515 State St., Suite 7, recently moved to its new downtown office. it has grown to six clinicians and serves clients in a variety of areas, including relationships, transitions, anxiety and addiction.

“We all work with couples and individuals,” Kennedy said. “Our therapists range in age from 20s to 50s and have trained in a variety of modalities, including EMDR, a popular modality for treating trauma.”

The Indy is the Santa Barbara Independent’s podcast, hosted by Molly McAnany. On this week’s episode, we speak with Jenn Kennedy of Riviera Therapy about what you can do to de-stress this holiday season and how to cope with heightened mental-health issues.

MEMBER Spotlight

Jenn Kennedy, LMFT, has built a private practice focused on demystifying sex, sexuality, and relationships. She is based in Santa Barbara and online at www.RivieraTherapy.com.

Saying no when you realize it is the best choice for your health and wellness is, in the world of therapy, also a way of establishing personal boundaries. And learning how to set boundaries is one of the best things you can do, experts tell Inverse. In this article, three therapists give guidance on:

The first step to take when you want to establish boundaries.
What to do if you feel guilty about telling friends or family “no.”
The best way to tell someone “no” without hurting their feelings.
But first, a bonus question: Is learning how to say no generally a healthy thing?

The answer is a resounding yes.

Jenn Kennedy is a marriage and family counselor based in California, and she says that she’s seen clients run the gamut between tons of contact and none. “I think initially people hesitated to even consider dating,” Kennedy says. “It’s all about risk tolerance and, initially, some people didn’t worry, and others really pulled back. What has been so difficult at this point, though, has been the prolonged nature of the pandemic. I have a handful of clients who are so lonely, and their touch needs haven’t been met, their social needs haven’t been met in 11 months.”

“Toxic is a relational term of how someone affects another. Toxic people will leave you feeling bad: edgy, guilty, confused, frustrated, overextended. They lack boundaries and ask too much from you, so you leave exchanges feeling violated and exhausted. They make assumptions, expect too much, disregard your ‘no’ answers,” Kennedy says.

“Setting a boundary is about having your own agency,” Kennedy says. “Healthy boundaries should be assertive, but not aggressive. They are clear and concise, and it’s an expression of the idea that there is a desire to have things a certain way. You are saying, this is what I need for my bubble.”

A boundary sets up the rules of the road for you and others to follow in order to coexist. Boundaries can be hard and fast, or they can be flexible and change with the environment and over time. Boundaries are sometimes confused with setting up walls designed to protect and cut yourself off from the outside world, but Jenn Kennedy, LMFT, a marriage and family counselor based in California, says that boundaries are really about creating safety, fairness, and self-respect, not hemming yourself in.

Jenn entertains her readers with her dynamic career and how it has ultimately led her to her “third incarnation” as a psychotherapist. Within her clinical capacity, she also shines as a savvy business owner as well as a supervisor. She shares how her experience as a teaching faculty at Antioch helps inform the depth of her clinical work as well as balancing it out.

“My “unhealthy” alarm goes off when someone reports negative self-talk after interacting with family members. They may return to past beliefs that they are somehow flawed, unloveable or even “broken.” That crosses the line to unhealthy, whereas difficult looks like you feeling annoyed or having to tread carefully.”

“Boundaries give a sense of agency over one’s physical space, body, and feelings,” says Jenn Kennedy, a licensed marriage and family therapist. “We all have limits, and boundaries communicate that line.”

“You know a relationship is in trouble when contempt shows up in the couple’s communication, marriage and family therapist, Jenn Kennedy, tells Bustle. That’s when you make little digs or passive aggresive comments to each other. You may not personally see it as a huge deal or you may even write it off as “just a joke,” but you never know how hurtful those comments can be to your partner.”

“People in relationships are constantly asking themselves, in one way or another, if they can trust the other person. Can they show their flaws, or risk being embarrassed? The way to move past this fear is to take measured risks,” says licensed marriage and family therapist, Jenn Kennedy.

A more professional rendition of the ever-popular: treat yourself. “Across the board, the one thing that seems to make the most difference is self-care,” says Marriage and Family Therapist Jenn Kennedy.

So, how do we recognize when we are engaging in these less apparent types of people-pleasing behaviors? Jenn Kennedy, LMFT suggests asking yourself the following questions: “Did you say yes when you really wanted to say no? Did you quiet your voice because it didn’t please or echo someone else who you deem important? Does it seem like you are overextending?” “If so,” she says, “try pushing back on these habits and see what comes of it.”

“In fact, picking a fight may even feel good,” says Jenn Kennedy, a marriage and family therapist in Santa Barbara, California. Some people may even use jealousy as proof of their love, but that quickly wears thin. “Typically jealousy slides into insecurity, defensiveness, and mistrust. Calming down jealousy is difficult and the longer it lasts, the more it hurts the relationship,” she explains.

Gwyenth Paltrow’s Goop.com made the term Conscious Uncoupling a household name in recent years. Coined by Katherine Woodward Thomas, the term has come to describe a civil and intentioned approach, adopted by couples, who have decided to break up. Hallmark signs of conscious uncoupling include mutuality, reason and acceptance.

Just because you get along well with someone’s relatives (and maybe like them even better than your own) isn’t a reason to stay with them and avoid a breakup. “You are partnered with the person and therefore your daily life is with them—not their family,” says Jenn Kennedy, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist located in Santa Barbara, CA.

Recently I saw a couple who perfectly illustrated a common quandary. Both individuals lead busy lives. They are doing their best to juggle the everyday demands of life—a particularly hectic work patch for one, family stressors coupled with financial worry for the other. Each is somewhat consumed with their respective stressors. Neither partner is sleeping well, and they both report feelings of overwhelm, exhaustion, and general irritability.

I could tell we weren’t going to gain traction if I asked either to listen to the other and/or to have compassion out of the gates. Rather, each person needed some TLC all their own. When members of a couple are in this state of emotional flooding or preoccupation, it’s nearly impossible for them to access the caring, giving, and curious parts of their being. It’s like the plane is going down and all they can think about is saving themselves.