Damon Jacobs

About Damon

Damon Jacobs is a licensed marriage and family therapist and focuses his research for the R Street Institute on the intersection between tobacco harm reduction and harm-reduction approaches to sexual behavior.

An HIV prevention specialist, Damon has championed the use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a harm-reduction strategy to prevent HIV. He has been featured as one of 35 leading HIV activists by The Advocate; one of the top 12 most influential voices in HIV/AIDS by Healthline; one of the 10 most captivating voices of 2014 by HIV Equal Online; and as part of Metrosource magazine’s “HIV Heroes” series.

Before entering private practice, Damon did education and outreach for HIV vaccine trials as a recruitment associate with Project Achieve. He previously served as a counselor with the Center for Comprehensive Health Practice and with the Lower Eastside Service Center. He was also clinical therapist with the Riverside County Department of Mental Health.

Damon is author of the books Rational Relating: The Smart Way to Stay Sane in the Crazy World of Love (2013) and Absolutely Should-Less: The Secret to Living the Stress-Free Life You Deserve (2008).

Damon earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California at Santa Cruz and his master’s in psychology from the New College of California.

He lives in New York.