Practice for Psychotherapy and Sex Therapy 

Verena Schönbucher

Swiss certified psychologist, counsellor and psychotherapist
Sex therapist (certified by OEGS/DGFS)
Sex researcher 

Services

My practice offers psychological assessment, counselling and psychocological support regarding
various questions about sexuality, relationship and psychological well-being. 

  • For persons of any age, gender and sexual orientation. 
  • For adults, adolescents, couples, parents and dependants. 

Sexual counselling and sex therapy

Specific assessment, counselling and therapy for: 

  • Problems with sexual function such as difficulties with arousal and/or erection, orgasm, desire or pain during sexual activity. 
  • Sexual problems which are associated with disease (e.g., gynaecological diseases, cancer, HIV) 
  • Problems with sexual communication 
  • Experienced sexual violence and sexual harassment 
  • Compulsive sexual behaviours (e.g., sex addiction) 
  • Questions regarding gender identity and sexual orientation 
  • Questions regarding relationship and seeking partner 
  • Questions regarding family planning (e.g. counselling and support in case of unplanned pregnancy,
  • unfulfilled wish for children, during reproductive-medical treatment) 
  • Questions of parents regarding sex education of their children 
  • Questions of adolescents regarding sexual knowledge
Counselling, psychotherapy und couples therapy
  • Psychodynamic / psychoanalytic oriented counselling and psychotherapy for adults 
  • Counselling and therapy for couples facing relationship problems or sexual difficulties 
  • Counselling and psychological support for children and adults with differences of biological sex development (DSD, intersex) and their parents
  • Counselling for adolescents regarding questions on sexuality and relationship 
  • Psycho-oncological counselling and support for persons with cancer 

Languages

German / English 

Treatment costs

Psychological psychotherapy is only covered by your health insurance if you have a prescription by a physician (Anordnungsmodell). Couple or sex therapy costs are usually not fully covered by your health insurance.

Curriculum vitae

Born 1978 in St. Gallen 

Education

Master of Science in Psychology, Psychopathology and Social and Economic History, University of Zurich (1999-2005) 

PhD in Psychology, University of Zurich (2005-2008) 

Master of Advanced Studies in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, University of  Zurich (2009-2013)
(nationally recognised formal qualification for psychotherapy) 

Postgraduate training in sex therapy , certified by the Austrian Society of Sex Research and
the German Society of Sex Research (OEGS, DGfS) (2012-2015) 

Professional experience

Practice for Psychotherapy and Sex Therapy (since 2011, licensed in the cantons of Zurich and St. Gallen)

Research fellow at the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and Medical History of the University of Zurich (2017-2018)

Research Coordinator of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services St. Gallen (2013-2015)

Lecturer at various health institutions and universities (e.g., University Hospital of Zurich, University of Applied Studies Zurich) (since 2011)

Clinical Psychologist and Research Fellow at the University Hospital Zurich, Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (Therapeutic services for sexual medicine and psycho-oncology) (2010-2015)

Research stays at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, and at the London Metropolitan University, Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit (2007-2009)

Research Fellow and Clinical Psychologist at the Children’s University Hospital Zurich (2005-2007 and 2009-2011)

Professional affiliations and mandates

Editorial Board of the Zeitschrift für Sexualforschung (Journal of Sex Research) 

Steering group member of the European Network for Psychosocial Studies in Intersex/Divers Sex Development (EuroPSI) (2015-2016) 

Federation of the Swiss Psychologists (FSP) 

German Society for Sex Research (DfGS) 

Swiss Society of Sexology (SSS) 

European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM) 

International Academy of Sex Research (IASR) 

Contact

Dr. phil. Verena Schönbucher, Practice for Psycho- und Sexualtherapie, Höhenweg 14, 8032 Zürich
Telephone: 043 558 46 28, Email: kontakt@praxis-sexualtherapie.ch 

My practice is located on the lower Zurichberg, in a green area above Klusplatz (tramline 3, 8, busline 31, 33; 10 minutes from Zurich main train station, 6 minutes from train station Stadelhofen). It is on the second basement floor of a well-cared apartment building. You will find the entrance in the garden (please use outdoor stairs). The practice is not wheelchair accessible and there is no parking space belonging to the practice (blue parking zone).

Please notice that no psychological and sexological counselling can be provided on the phone or by email.