He won’t divulge the names of his clients. But if your favorite artist is seeing a sex or relationship therapist, chances are they are seeing Dr. Caleb Jacobson.
The word around Music City is that Dr. Jacobson is the go to expert for sex and relationship issues. And that checks out since he is the President of the School of Sex Therapy, a Nashville based training school for therapists who desire to specialize in psychosexual therapy. The school has students from around the globe who come to learn his style of sex therapy.
So who is Dr. Caleb Jacobson and why is he trusted by those in the music industry to handle the most personal details of their life?
The clinical psychologist and sex therapist recently became a doctor for the second time completing a program in Hebrew Bible and biblical archaeology. While the combination may seem surprising, Jacobson has found a way to combine the two areas of study both in and outside the therapy room.
Clinically, he specializes in working with religious people with sexual and relationship issues – a very helpful skill within the Bible belt. He also chairs a special interest group on sexuality and religion for the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, where he advocates for therapists to have greater understanding of religious issues that impact their patients.
But Jacobson’s first passion was music. He recalls his grandfather taking him to a George Jones concert for his tenth birthday. “[He] was always my favorite and even though I was probably the youngest person in the audience I knew every word to every song,” Jacobson recalls.
Soon after his first concert he began playing guitar and mandolin as he explored bluegrass music. He considers Bobby Osborne his greatest influence and says the Opry star befriended him as a teenager and was always willing to help him with his mandolin playing.
Music was the focus of his teen years. When he wasn’t performing himself, he was spending time with those who were. Jacobson jokes that in high school he realized that his musical ability and connections in the music industry were a great way to get dates.
In college he discovered a passion for songwriting. This was also the time he began recording, but not in some studio basement like many college students. Jacobson has been able to record with a number of Grammy Award winners like Country legend Charlie Daniels and Bluegrass icon Del McCoury.
While he is no longer involved in performing or production side of the music scene, last year he began to release some of the music he recorded over the past decade, and he’s used his contacts to help establish his career as a psychologist.
Most of his clients come from referrals. As of the writing of this article, he doesn’t even have a website. But he understands the important needs of touring musicians and has tailored his practice to meet those needs.
“Privacy is very important especially when your entire life is in the public eye,” Jacobson says, “you don’t want the most intimate aspects of your life and relationships exposed.” And that’s why so many celebrities trust him.
Jacobson is the safest choice for famous clients to disclose private information. Being around new and legendary artists has always been apart of his life so he’s not likely to slip up and tell someone due to over excitement.
Convenience is another reason why he is a likely choice. Even before the pandemic he met with patients virtually. “It’s hard to make time for therapy when you’re entire career is based on you being some place different all the time,” Jacobson says. By offering virtual sessions he is able to meet with his patients regardless of their tour schedule.
This also helps with marriage counseling. Jacobson told us, “People joke about divorce rates among touring musicians but its hard to get help when you’re not home.” Using his therapy model, couples are able to meet with him regularly despite location. “Its funny to think about sometimes,” he says, “but I’ve been in a session where one person is in Florida, the other is in California, and I am in Europe.”
Scheduling is also something he has made easier for his clients. He allows them to book and schedule their appointments virtually as well. The simplicity and convenience of his practice model means that the therapeutic needs of Music City’s finest doesn’t have to be put on hold. They can continue their careers while working on personal and relationship issues.
“I love what I do and I love being able to help people,” he says. But the cost isn’t cheap. A consultation with Jacobson starts at $275 for a 50-minute session. But for people with sexual or relationship issues, it’s a worthwhile investment. And it’s much cheaper than divorce.
While therapy with Dr. Jacobson may be out of reach for a lot of people, we can still all benefit from the wisdom he shares on Instagram and on his new podcast Uncomplicated Sex.
Keep up with the latest from Dr. Jacobson by following him on Instagram.
