How does sex influence a transmasculine person’s identity? And how can a healthy sexuality diminish body dysphoria? Join therapist Mike Giordano, LICSW and activist, educator, and educational and adult filmmaker, Buck Angel for a workshop exploring transgender men’s lives and how mental health professionals can assist in building positive self-regard and promoting pleasurable sex lives, […]

To date, little research has focused on the erotic motivators that drive the Top/bottom (Dom/sub) dynamic, as well as those traits sought in compatible partners. In this study we address what “lights us up” in Top and bottom dynamics – personally and in a partner. 200 self-identified Tops and bottoms completed a 23-item scale psychological […]

Grounded in an empirical mixed-methods study of the retrospective life histories of 292 kinky adults from 29 countries, this talk will describe a new model of the development of kink identity which has broad applications to both clinical and non-clinical contexts while attending to the substantial diversity of identity development experiences held by kinky individuals. […]

Race play has long been viewed as a taboo kink in BDSM practice. Because of the provocative nature of such behavior, race play has its share of detractors and attractors alike. The cultural history of the United States is enmeshed with the intersecting domains of racism, violence, and the policing of sexual mores. As such, […]

The presentation describes three cases of men (one heterosexual, two gay) who came seeking transformational, experiential BDSM work. Two of them described internal family systems dynamics needing to be understood and healed. The third asked explicitly for an extended process supporting male initiation (9 sessions). Based on their incoming consultations, James developed an individualized set […]

The intersection of kink and trauma, especially sexual trauma, is a source of perpetual angst and controversy, both within and outside of kink communities. At the same time, given the overwhelming prevalence of sexual trauma in the general population, paired with the growing interest and general cultural awareness of kink, it is inevitable that people […]

An examination of the unique dynamics and difficulties faced by formerly Ultra-Orthodox Jews as they transition into the secular world, especially around sexual health. This thesis distills some of the specific ways in which formerly Ultra-Orthodox Jews understand their own sexuality, how they would define “healthy” and “unhealthy” sexuality, and what they thought of those […]

According to one ongoing study, 75% of respondents were aware of their kink by the age of 12. I’m one of the 0.4% who recognized it at 41+. Once discovered, I explored with joy and gusto. However, concurrently there was confusion, shame and soon the label of sex addict, both from external and internal sources. […]

Using autoethnography (i.e., research of the Self in society), Dr. Herukhuti performs a critical self-reflection of his personal experience in challenging oppressive social forces using sex, spirituality, and cultural production. This presentation serves as an invitation to consider a role that bisexuals can play in the struggle for a more socially just and ecologically well […]