Behind the Screens—Who’s running this shit?
Consider this your peak behind the curtain. But unlike the great wizard of Oz, I welcome your peaking!
In fact, I think it’s incredibly important that you vet anyone you’re considering working with on something so vulnerable as sexuality. (If you’re in the kink community, I’m sure you value this vetting process as well—perhaps that’s even why you’re here!)
The bottom line is that I don’t want you to work with someone who isn’t worth their salt and who isn’t your cup of tea. I wrote this article so you could determine for yourself if my credentials are up to snuff, and so you could get a feel for who I am before deciding to begin sex coaching.
In this article, you’ll find my:
Education
Experience
Publishing
Perspectives
I must confess… In writing this article, an internal war arose. The socialization I’ve experienced made me want to apologize for what may come across as a self-congratulatory info dump. But there is also a part of me that is incredibly proud of my accomplishments in a field I am so passionate about. Ultimately, I chose to practice what I preach and embody confidence. I think I’m a damn good sex coach, hopefully you will too.
Education
Here is a snapshot of the formal degrees I hold:
Master of Education in Human Sexuality (2024) from Widener University
Master of Human Development and Family Studies in Couples and Family Therapy (2019) from University of Rhode Island
Bachelor of Science in Psychology (2016) from UW-Madison
Beyond academic degrees, I have further education in trauma and am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (Level 2). You can click here if you want to know more about this certification.
I have also specialized in kink, non-monogamy, and queerness through my choice in continuing education credits, the clients I work with in my therapy practice, and further personal research. (When I’m not reading romantasy novels, you can bet I’m diving into a research article or book on these topics!)
Experience
Therapist
One of my biggest legs up as sex coach is the fact that I’m a therapist first. I began practicing in 2019 and opened my own private practice in 2022. While I used to work with kids, teenagers, and adults, I have since specialized in working with sexuality of all forms and now only work with adults.
Sex Educator
As a sex educator, I have worked with the campus organization, Sex Out Loud. I facilitated the training presentation “Fostering Sexual Wellness for College Students through Education and Conversation” and I participated in their “Sex After Dark” Q&A style event as a panelist.
During my Human Sexuality degree program, I interned with Learn Sex Therapy/The Buehler Institute, teaching other therapists about working with sexuality related issues. I also presented “Sexual Assessment—For Clients and You” at Perspectives Therapy Practice (now LifeStance), helping other therapists increase their comfort working with sexuality.
Publishing
Perhaps some of my favorite accomplishments, I have been published in two different academic journals on the topic of sex therapy. You can find my article Internal Family Systems and Sex Therapy: What Therapists Need to Know here and my article The use of poetry therapy and sex therapy here. You can request access to the full articles using my contact form.
I was also a featured expert for an article by Kinkly on sex slang, which you can find here. (It’s really something telling your parents “Hey, big career accomplishment! I was a featured expert for an article on throatpies!”)
Other writings are in the works, including a workbook that will be available through Erodite and a paper on the ethics of being in the kink community as a therapist who serves kinky clients.
Perspectives
Now that you’ve gotten the “CliffsNotes” version of my credentials (do people use CliffsNotes anymore, or is this an outdated reference?), let me tell you a little more about what I value in my work.
I want people to access pleasure that feels authentic and dismantle the idea that there is a “right way” to experience sex and pleasure. This is often easier said than done, which is where a coach can come in handy! As someone educated in and passionate about the field of sexuality, I bring a well of knowledge that helps us use creative problem-solving to get there.
I acknowledge and appreciate the vastness of nuance in our sexual identities and value tailored education. So, if you’re queer, kinky, and/or non-monogamous, you can be confident that you won’t be getting a one-size-fits-all approach.
I prioritize credible information and a well put together action plan with clear steps. (See a template here.) This means that you’re getting concrete, personalized direction, something that differentiates coaching from therapy. If you’re not sure if coaching or therapy is right for you, you can check out this article. You can also check out my therapy approach here.
If you’re ready to set up a consult to begin sex coaching, you can contact me here.
Still feel like you want to get to know me and Erodite a little better? Check out this article about my values (both personal and business-related).