Mitra Molaeinezhad, PhD, MSc, Clin Psy.
Tehran, Iran
Tell us about yourself – your expertise, practice, and area of research
I am a junior researcher in the field of sexual health and a former assistant professor at the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Concerning my professional practice, I am a certified psycho-sexologist by ESSM. In addition, I was previously serving as an assistant professor at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), conducting selected research in psychiatry and lecturing at the Behavioural Sciences Research Centre, collaborating with the department of psychiatry, the school of medicine, and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Furthermore, I also used to practice extensively at the Isfahan psychosexual clinic. I also had a course of contribution with the WHO country office as a national consultant on RMNCAEH (reproductive, maternal, neonatal, children, adolescents, and elderly health) for reviewing proposals and monitoring of SRMH (sex and reproductive health) projects. Currently, I am practicing as a clinical psychologist and psychosexologist in the Yareegar clinic in Tehran. My PhD dissertation in SRH was specifically about the sexual behavior patterns of couples in unconsummated relationships. It resulted in five frequently cited papers and two questionnaires, the MVPDQ and its partner version, the PV-MVPDQ, which are among the clinically used questionnaires for the assessment of vaginismus. Furthermore, soon after my first Master’s degree, I published a textbook of sexual disorders with the contribution of my previous co-supervisor, which is a reference book for sexual disorders in Iranian medical universities (5th edition, 2022). Furthermore, I was awarded a grant from ESSM to take part in the School of Sexual Medicine 2014 in Budapest, and recently, I received the Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Scholarship from IPPS (International Pelvic Pain Society).
Where do you currently practice? What type of patients do you treat?
Currently, I am practicing as a clinical psychologist and psychosexologist in the Yareegar clinic in Tehran. As a psycho sexologist, I am dealing with many clients with a history of sexual dysfunctions, childhood sexual abuse, people with sexual dysfunctions, gender dysphoria, and other LGBTQ+ clients, people with paraphilia and sex addiction. Furthermore, I have also been working with women with vaginismus for more than ten years. During my practice in psychosexual clinics I am trying to help them through psychological approaches. My research interests and expertise focus on psychological issues, especially fear of penetration (penetration phobia) and pain, emotion recognition, and body expression of emotions. My future lines of research will aim to evaluate the role of individual differences in interoceptive and proprioceptive learning in the primary and secondary prevention of sexual disorders (i.e., sexual pain in women).
Where did you complete your training?
As regards my education, I achieved my first PhD qualification in sexual and reproductive health and also have a master's degree in clinical psychology from Islamic Azad University (Najafabd Branch). Furthermore, I was pursuing my post-doctoral research in psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy during a sabbatical leave as a research scholar at CMU (Central Michigan University), USA.
