Finally, The Cure for Women's Sexual Problems: Revolutionary New Sexual Center Opens in Chicago

January 30, 2004 – CHICAGO – Internationally renowned sex therapist and talk show host Dr. Laura Berman announced the opening of a new kind of sexual health facility in Chicago today. The center seeks to revolutionize the treatment of women's sexual function complaints, approaching it in a multi-disciplinary manner that combines medicine, talk therapy, physical therapy and yoga and pilates.

"Women need to hear that it's okay to want to improve their own sexuality, and they need a place to get treated and trained effectively without shame and without judgment,' says Dr. Laura Berman, Director of the Berman Center, co-host of The Berman & Berman Show on Discovery Health, and a correspondent for Good Morning America.

According to the latest nation-wide study, over 43% of women in America suffer from sexual dysfunction. The modern, spa-like Berman Center facility is the first of its kind and is the product of Dr. Laura Berman's dream to help American women reach their full sexual potential. Dr. Berman has leased an entire floor within sight of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, one block away from Chicago's famous Magnificent Mile.

"The Berman Center will combine a variety of clinicians to comprehensively treat the whole woman,' says Dr. Berman, "her mind, her body, and her relationships.' While sex therapy is not new, combining it with medicine, relationship counseling, pelvic physical therapy, yoga and pilates and couples education creates a total solution for the multi-faceted problem of female sexual dysfunction.

"We're bringing together the top doctors in the field, the best clinicians I could find, to finally conquer the problem of female sexual dysfunction.' Dr. Berman added, "The insurance industry, the pharmaceutical industry and doctors in general have kept their focus on men and left women behind. For the women of America, the ‘men only' focus in the field of sexuality stops today. Women are complicated creatures, and it takes a complex solution to effectively treat this intractable problem.'

"So much money has gone into treating and researching men's sexual problems but women have not received the same attention. The Berman Center will seek to rebalance the scales not only on treatment, but on research and advocacy,' noted Dr. Berman.

Part spa, part physicians' office, part library, the Berman Center's services include:

Individual and Couples Sex Therapy. Dr. Berman has created unique methods for effectively training sex therapists to treat women and couples struggling with their sexuality. The Berman Center's top sex therapists will provide one-on-one and couples therapy focused on the emotional and relationship issues that deeply affect their sex lives.

Group Therapy. Dr. Berman has designed a series of women's educational support groups organized around issues such as: menopause, low-libido, and pre-natal support. "I like to think of it as more than education alone; it's women helping other women with the challenges we all face.'

Couples Education. A series of six seminars guides a couple through everything they need to know to become sexually compatible, from critical anatomy lessons, to instruction on sexual techniques and communication. Men and women explore important topics in a multi-media environment, facilitated by a Berman Center couples specialist.

Medical Treatment. The Berman Center will offer the latest in medical treatments and evaluations for the physical causes of sexual dysfunction. Clinical trials and cutting-edge research will be integrated into evolving medical therapies. "In my clinical experience, as
many as 1/3 of cases of sexual dysfunction in women are also caused by a medical or physical problem,' Dr. Berman added. "Talk therapy alone is not as effective while lingering medical conditions are allowed to persist.'

Physical Therapy. The Berman Center will provide pelvic floor rehabilitation, as well as physical therapy focused on pelvic floor strength and on the treatment of pain.

Yoga and Pilates for Core Strengthening and Stress Relief. The Berman Center offers a unique exercise program for sexual health. Instructors incorporate yoga and pilates to enhance pelvic floor strength for rehabilitation and the enhancement of female sexual response. Yoga classes will also be offered for the treatment of stress, anxiety and depression.

The Wellness Resources Program. The Berman Center will house a resource library of computer resources, books and videos, handpicked by Dr. Berman, on all aspects of women's emotional, relationship and sexual health. The library will also sponsor speakers on different sexual health topics as well as a women's art program where up-and-coming female artists will be featured in an exhibit in the center several times a year. The Berman Center will author books and produce research on sexual health and other topics of interest to its patients.

Child Care. The Berman Center will provide babysitting services in a dedicated playroom for children of patients receiving treatment at the center.

"We hope that the Berman Center will be known as a safe, comfortable place for women to receive the finest treatment available for issues of sexuality,' says Dr. Berman.

Dr. Berman is the definitive resource on sex-related issues in America today. She runs the Berman Center in Chicago, a state-of-the-art facility that's dedicated to helping women and their partners repair their sex lives and achieve their maximum sexual potential. Dr. Berman is also an assistant clinical professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Psychiatry at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. In
addition, Dr. Berman is co-host of Berman & Berman, on the Discovery Health Channel and a correspondent for Good Morning America.

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