SPECIALITIES
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #99688
- Board-Certified Sex Therapist
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapist
- Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Meet Dr. Jenn Kennedy
Clinical Sexologist | Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist | Certified Sex Therapist
I’ve always been curious about people – what makes us connect, pull away, struggle, grow, and ultimately thrive. That curiosity has shaped my entire career, even when the path wasn’t exactly linear.
Before becoming a therapist, I worked as a publicist and then spent more than a decade as a professional photographer. Both careers gave me the opportunity to meet and work with hundreds of interesting people, hear their stories, and gain insight into what makes us human. Over time, my interest in human behavior evolved into a deeper desire to understand relationships, emotional health, and sexuality. Eventually, I found my way to therapy, where I could take those conversations beyond the surface and help people create meaningful change in their lives.
Today, I’m a clinical sexologist and licensed marriage and family therapist based in downtown Santa Barbara. I work with individuals and couples navigating relationship challenges, intimacy concerns, sexuality, addiction, and the complexities of being human. My approach is compassionate, curious, direct, and collaborative. I believe therapy should be a place where you can talk openly about the things that are often hardest to say out loud – without judgment or shame.
My Clinical Background
I earned my PhD in Clinical Sexology and a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. My early clinical training included work with the Community Counseling and Education Center (CCEC) and Pacific Pride Foundation (PPF) in Santa Barbara.
My work draws from several therapeutic approaches, including Gottman Method Couples Therapy and Terry Real’s relational concepts. I’m trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for trauma treatment, certified in Sex Addiction Therapy (CSAT), and a board-certified Sex Therapist.
I have extensive experience working with LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, and I bring an affirming, sex-positive perspective to my practice. I recognize that relationships and sexuality are deeply personal, shaped by our histories, identities, beliefs, and experiences. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to intimacy or connection.
Beyond the Therapy Room
In 2019, I founded Riviera Therapy, a group psychotherapy practice that was honored as Best Therapy Practice in Santa Barbara in 2025. Today, I lead a team of licensed therapists and mentor emerging clinicians, helping foster a collaborative environment dedicated to thoughtful, compassionate care.
Education has also been an important part of my professional life. From 2017 to 2022, I taught human sexuality and couples therapy as adjunct faculty in the master’s program at Antioch University Santa Barbara. I also served as president of the Santa Barbara Chapter of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (SB-CAMFT).
In 2023, I launched The Pleasure Project, an extension of my belief that conversations about sex and relationships should be more accessible, informed, and shame-free. Through my podcast, Pleasure Project: Sex & Relationships, I explore the realities of intimacy, desire, communication, and connection. I also created The Pleasure Circle, an online course helping women better understand their sexual stories and build a more intentional relationship with desire. More recently, I’ve developed continuing education courses to help fellow clinicians feel more confident addressing sexuality and intimacy in their work.
My expertise has been featured in AARP, Forbes Health, Allure, Reader’s Digest, Redbook, Parade, Yahoo! Life, and other national publications. I also contributed a chapter to the 2025 book Queering EMDR, exploring LGBTQ+ affirming approaches to trauma treatment.
I’ve been honored with Antioch University’s 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award and the 2019 Outstanding Leader Award from the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT).
Working With Me
Whether you’re struggling with communication, feeling disconnected from your partner, navigating changes in desire, processing trauma, or simply wanting to better understand yourself, my goal is to help you approach these challenges with greater clarity, compassion, and curiosity.
I offer individual therapy, couples therapy, and intensive sessions. My fee is $350 per clinical hour.
I believe meaningful change begins with honest conversations – and sometimes those conversations can even include a little humor. Therapy is serious work, but we don’t have to take ourselves seriously every minute of it.
FAQs
Riviera Therapy is an out-of-network practice and does not bill insurance directly. However, many insurance plans offer out-of-network benefits, and we are happy to provide a superbill that you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. We recommend contacting your insurance provider to learn more about your out-of-network mental health benefits.
Yes. We offer both in-person therapy at our Santa Barbara office and secure online therapy for clients throughout California. Whether you prefer meeting face-to-face or from the comfort of your home, you’ll receive the same personalized, evidence-based care from our experienced therapists. We will work in whatever format you prefer.
It depends on many factors – like readiness for change, frequency of sessions and the work you do in between session. Typically clients come anywhere from 3 months to one year.
You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected, or struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, or major life changes, therapy can help. It can also be a valuable space for personal growth, improving communication, building healthier relationships, and developing tools to navigate life’s challenges with greater confidence.
AI can provide information, ideas, and general support, but it can’t replace the insight, empathy, and personalized care of a licensed therapist. In therapy, your therapist understands your unique history, emotions, relationships, and goals, helping you uncover patterns, process difficult experiences, and create meaningful, lasting change. Think of AI as a helpful tool for education and reflection, while therapy offers a safe, confidential relationship with a trained professional who can guide you through life’s challenges with clinical expertise and genuine human connection.
Couples therapy provides a supportive space for partners to improve communication, strengthen emotional connection, and work through relationship challenges. During sessions, your therapist helps you identify unhelpful patterns, understand each other’s perspectives, and develop practical tools for resolving conflict and rebuilding trust. Whether you’re navigating recurring arguments, intimacy concerns, life transitions, or recovering from betrayal, couples therapy focuses on helping you create a healthier, more connected relationship.
Yes. While recovering from an affair can be painful, many couples are able to rebuild trust and strengthen their relationship with the right support. Therapy provides a safe space to process the betrayal, improve communication, understand what contributed to the rupture, and determine the best path forward, whether that means healing together or making thoughtful decisions about the future of the relationship. Reach out to Dr. Jenn for a referral.
We offer therapy for teens, young adults, couples and families working on issues including ADHD, intimacy, relationships, parenting and addiction. We have several clinicians who are fully trained in EMDR therapy.
Yes. We offer therapy groups throughout the year focused on a variety of topics, including relationships, personal growth, life transitions, and emotional well-being. Group therapy provides a supportive environment where you can connect with others, gain new perspectives, and develop practical skills alongside people facing similar challenges. We have offered groups on various topics, including partner loss, transitions, betrayal, ADHD, desire, men’s sexuality. See our full list here.
Our last weekday appointments are 6 pm. Currently we do not have weekend openings.
Sex therapy is a specialized form of talk therapy that helps individuals and couples improve their sexual well-being, intimacy, and relationships. Sessions focus on education, communication, and evidence-based strategies to address concerns such as low desire, painful sex, erectile dysfunction, orgasm difficulties, sexual anxiety, and relationship challenges. There is no physical or sexual contact during sex therapy. Instead, you’ll work with a trained therapist in a safe, confidential, and judgment-free environment to better understand your concerns and build a more satisfying intimate life.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a protocol used in treating trauma of all sorts. It is incredibly effective and efficient and helping clients overcome negative beliefs that block joy, desire, and adaptive living. Several of our staff (Jenn, Kristi, Annie, Matthew, Shannon, Valarie) are trained to offer this therapy.
The Pleasure Project is Dr. Jenn Kennedy’s educational platform dedicated to helping people build healthier relationships, deepen intimacy, and create more fulfilling sex lives. Through a podcast, online courses, speaking engagements, and educational resources, the Pleasure Project makes evidence-based information about sex and relationships accessible, practical, and free of shame. You can sign up for the Pleasure Project newsletter here.
Yes we have patient parking, which is accessible off of Chapala St.