Sex, Intimacy, Therapy: A Conversation With Cheryl Cohen Greene

We'll talk with "sex surrogate" Cheryl Cohen Greene, a Boston native and inspiration for the Helen Hunt's Oscar-nominated role in the film "The Sessions."

Cheryl Cohen Greene, a Certified Sexologist, with a doctorate in Human Sexuality, a 20 year member of the San Francisco Sex Information Training Staff, and have been a surrogate partner for over 30 years. She's the author of the new memoir An Intimate Life: Sex, Love, and My Journey as a Surrogate Partner.

L.A. Times "Greene has worked as a surrogate partner therapist for 40 years. During one-on-one sessions at her home, which doubles as an office, she uses sensual touch to guide those who struggle with sex and intimacy issues. She almost always removes her clothes. And — yes — she sleeps with her patients. In the bed, by the way, that she shares with her spouse."

Elle "So this is it, I think as I’m led into what looks like a guest room. Three windows, shutters partially closed, face the backyard; a queen-size bed sits center stage. It’s pretty unremarkable as beds go, with white-and-beige plaid sheets, a pair of pale blankets, and a dream catcher hanging overhead. It isn’t exactly what I’d expected, but then, I really didn’t know what to expect. This is the bedroom that Cheryl Cohen Greene shares with her husband—and hundreds of other men. Call it her home office."

Salon "Cohen Greene objects to being characterized as a saint because of the work she has done for over 40 years, but surrogacy is so clearly a righteous calling for her; and while she isn’t a prostitute, she is the embodiment of what might be one of the most compelling arguments for greater legalization, or decriminalization, of certain forms of sex work, in the very least. Here is a woman who chose her occupation free of coercion, who truly loves the work and who positively changes lives while doing it."