"Doctor" Richard Cohen has long since been exposed as a self-promoting charlatan

Cohen has been a bombastic embarrassment to sex therapists over the years, appearing about anywhere that would have him. His demonstration of "bioenergetics" on CNN has him beating a pillow with a tennis racket while yelling at the top of his lungs. The same appearance includes a session of "holding" or "touch" therapy where Cohen cradles his client in his arms while on a sofa. He has repeated this and other stunts in multiple venues.

During a class, Cohen (who claims to be "ex-gay") asked for a volunteer to demonstrate on. His volunteer was instructed by Mr. Cohen to lay on the floor and spread his legs wide open. Dr. Cohen then laid down on top of this other man face to face and embraced him.

Mr. Cohen made the comment, "This might cause some stimulation. However, what goes up must come down, I always say." He made other vulgar comments of this nature.

Cohen has no license to practice any sort of therapy. The licensing authorities in his state, Maryland, stated that a license is not required there to offer services as a "psychotherapist" as long as one does not try to diagnose and treat from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, also known as DSM-IV-TR (a manual published by the American Psychiatric Association [APA] that includes all currently recognized mental health disorders).

Also in 2007, Cohen claimed to stop counseling clients.

Excerpt from one of those pesky scientific papers.

Don Firth