By: SHA Intern Tula Pitcher
“I love the transformative power of sexual self-acceptance.” - David Ley
Dr. David Ley is a clinical psychologist and internationally recognized expert on sexuality, pornography, and mental health. Ever since adolescence, Ley has always been intrigued by sex and sexuality. As a teenager, Ley became fascinated by science fiction characters who “accepted and embraced their sexuality without shame.” Later, he began his academic career as a philosophy major from Ole Miss. After receiving his bachelor’s, Ley went on to pursue his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from the University of New Mexico. David Ley initially started working with sex offenders, where he realized there was a lot of ignorance and work that needed to be done within the field of sexuality. Ley began getting lots of referrals for his expertise - “Just because I had learned the power of not shaming,” he said. Ley now works as the Executive Director of New Mexico Solutions, an outpatient mental health and substance abuse program in Albuquerque.
Dr. Ley is best known for his controversial book, The Myth of Sex Addiction, that was inspired by the mainstream media’s reaction to his first book, Insatiable Wives. The media quickly picked up on Ley’s provoking ideas, earning him interviews with Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, and Dr. Phil. Dr. Ley has also written Ethical Porn for Dicks, A Man’s Guide to Responsible Viewing Pleasure, that was endorsed by Pornhub.com. In addition to being featured on numerous TV shows, Ley has also been interviewed by the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, and Hustler and Playboy magazines.
Ley is now investigating professional misconduct among teachers, lawyers, doctors, therapists and police. He is also doing work on forensic testimony, trying to help the legal system better understand the complexity of sexuality. Additionally, he continues to provoke and redefine controversial questions of sexuality, masculinity, psychology and culture through his clinical work and collaboration with the Sexual Health Alliance.
Dr. Ley will be speaking at our conference on March 27th and 28th on Modern Sexual Issues in therapy and education. David Ley’s experience and research within the sexual field has made him an expert on the evolving issues seen in sex and relationships, which he will be focusing on during the conference. Most therapists have no training or exposure to the more contemporary issues revolving around sex and sexuality, and Ley will be reviewing a number of topics in order to break the ice on these taboo matters. Topics covered in the March conference include social media, nymphomania, sexual “pathologies,” porn, religion, and BDSM. Get to know David Ley a bit better by learning from him on how to be the most effective sexuality professional you can be - reserve your spot today!