Universities

In this presentation we will examine the terminology and constructs around sex, gender identity, and transgender issues. Care for transgender and gender non-conforming people includes the language we use, as well as the obstacles and detours that get in the way of trans people receiving quality care, or receiving care at all. This can include “outing,” safety, support, financial barriers, legal paperwork, health records, and the assumptions that are projected by providers themselves. Most trans individuals aren’t in your office to discuss their transition – they are there because they have complex needs like everyone else. In fact, the simplest of changes in how we care for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals can improve care for all. This class is also a great opportunity to ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask a transgender person. By doing so in the appropriate setting of a training, you do not place the emotional burden of educating yourself on your patients.

You remember to call someone by the pronoun and name they use. That is good enough, right? So many people who want to ally themselves to transgender and gender diverse individuals are not aware of the wide array of ways they can help make life easier for them! This course is a chance for people who want to build skills for allyship to learn to do so, without continuing to do seemingly positive things that may accidentally be causing harm. Some examples of what is included are what to do when someone comes out to you, the different types of transitioning, making gender inclusive spaces, building support for families of people transitioning, different types of corporate activism, and of course, a bit about the “bathroom issue.” This is about more than pronouns. This is about culture shifting at every level of society while also supporting people one on one. Let’s all work together to make this a better world for everyone. Professionals, friends, partners, and individuals of all sorts that are or want to be allies are encouraged to attend.This course can be tailored for mixed groups of adults, political groups, non-profits, partners of trans people, corporate spaces, or other groups interested in supporting transgender and gender diverse individuals.

There is a difference between unconscious and conscious power use. Power permeates our every interpersonal interaction, from how we talk to the grocery clerk to how we play in the bedroom. However, in a variety of alternative sexuality and BDSM populations, these concepts are eroticized, often glossing over the context where these consensual erotic power plays come from. Let’s examine where power arises unconsciously in culture, various types of power exchange dynamics, and why people would want to engage in them for an evening, a long-term connection or between lifetimes. This class will include the topics of conscious and unconscious roles, personal and cultural trauma, bonding within relationships, and even destructive partnered behaviors. Power is power, but inequality is not inequity, so let us look at this together with eyes wide open.

Have you always wanted to speak in front of a crowd but are too jittery? Perhaps you are an experienced speaker or educator who wants their lectures and presentations to stand out and be remembered? Come learn how to effectively use your voice and body language to communicate your message in a wide variety of teaching and speaking environments. From claiming your space to audience empathy, using vocal range to hiding your nervousness, we will plunge in together and come out more certain of our ability to deliver our message.

Individuals self-injure and cut for many reasons: abuse, depression, attention seeking, pain management, rage, anxiety, and more. However, in kink, BDSM, and body modification communities, activities are enjoyed or explored that can resemble these self-injurious behaviors. There are also some individuals for whom the same scars born of shame and disgust have become marks of honor and survival. The distinction between these various groups and drives can be confusing for therapists, councilors, care givers, and medical professionals, especially given that they are not always perfectly clear lines. In this class we will be presenting findings from interviews conducted within the kink and body modification communities among those who have previously been or continue to practice cutting and other self-injurious behaviors. We will examine cases of individuals that have transformed their need for self-harm into other forms of expression, maintained both sets of behavior, and those looking at whether healthy cutting can ever take place in an individual's life. Through doing so, care professionals and others in attendance will gain insight into this sometimes complex topic, as well as tools to start these dialogues with their clients.

Before many of us were born, we were given gender labels that set our life course in motion. In this discussion and personally explorative class, we will dive into how our labels have been gifted, inherited, chosen, been forced onto us, or run away from. Our labels grant us power for flirting, community exposure, personal interactions, and group dynamics. We also lose a lot by stating a specific label or expressing it physically when first meeting another individual. Labels can get us hot, labels can turn us off, labels drive us mad, and labels give us hope for claiming our own sense of self. With all of that, why don’t we just scrap them all? Let’s challenge ourselves, look deep inside, and examine how it all affects each of us and the communities we are part of.

What sort of presenting really calls to you, and why? Do you want to lead group discussions, lecture in front of an auditorium, provide one-on-one mentorship, or give skill demonstrations? What sorts of topics are you called to present on? Physical skills, emotional experiences, psychology of interpersonal interaction, history, and academics, or perhaps something totally different? Many of us start out presenting because we are well known for something we do and others want to learn or because no one else would step up on a topic. But what do *you* actually want to teach? What styles will best carry your message and your specific voice? Let’s look at what styles and content truly call to you, and also examine options for both. This is your chance to authentically shine!

Bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadism, and masochism. These words can elicit a sense of titillation, or of dread. In this humorous and accessible class about alternative and sometimes edgy sexual practices, we will be looking at what draws people to this wide array of kinky sex interests. Related topics such as fetishism, voyeurism, exhibitionism, “alternative” relationship structures, and swinging will also be explored. We will have an opportunity to look at the variety of types of tools used, toys enjoyed, activities delighted in, and how these things can and are safe to explore in and out of the bedroom. Bring your sense of humor, your curiosity, and your questions as you learn about the wide variety of sexual expression found in BDSM and kinky sex.

When a client comes to therapists, educators, or helping professionals around the intersection of kink and spirit, we get to examine why they are coming to YOU. You don’t have to understand the nuances of kink to serve your clientele! In this presentation we will break down the basics of what gets called kink, as well as the differences between faith, sacred experience, and spiritual paths, allowing us to better serve some of the actual concerns clients might have. There are many ways in which kink mirrors spirituality, spirituality mirrors kink, and consciously combining these two can even help our clients. Whether they have had unexpected sacred moments amidst taboo sexual expression or fear the loss of community if they come “out” as having diverse desires, no two people are the same, so let’s break it down and add nuance to your understanding on these topics.

When a baby is born, we lift them up and declare “it’s a boy” or “it’s a girl.” With one fell swoop a child’s gender identity, orientation, life experience, sexual behaviors, and social interactions have been painted upon them… but each of us is more complex than that. In this class we will examine the differences and intersections between sex, gender, sexual behavior, orientation, intimacy, and relationship styles. From gender roles to chromosomes beyond xx/xy, linguistic colonization to slut shaming, transgender awareness to homosocial behavior, let’s look at humanity through a broader lens! Buckle up for a wild ride through the diversity of the human experience.

The world over, body modification is used as a way to express identity. This is true whether that is cultural affiliation, personal milestones, political views, spiritual connections, or other points of personal expression. Many of us are not aware of the modifications we have already made in our life such as having a specific hair style or dressing in a certain way. We will look at the wide variety of body modifications available today from henna/mehndi to hook hangs, tattoos to ritual jewelry, stage makeup to genital reconstruction surgery, breast augmentation to flesh removal. In doing so, we will discuss the energy and history inherent in different modifications and their social implications today. Let’s examine together why every act of modifying our flesh can be sacred, and every act can profane; no matter the type of alteration, no matter the transformation.

Whether you’re struggling with isolation, dealing with loss, or want to delve deeper into what makes you “you,” many people say the key is to develop self-love. This is so important… but it's time we start building a relationship with the person in the mirror. Whether you need to become your own friend, your own partner, your own co-worker, or something else entirely, this is your chance to find the life balance that serves you while building more fulfilling relationships with others and find support in community along the way.

When a child is born, we lift them up and declare “it’s a boy” or “it’s a girl,” but the world of gender is more complex than this. We will examine the terminology around gender identity and transgender experience while looking at the differences and crossovers between sex, gender, and orientation. From medical care to chromosomes beyond xx/xy, legal issues to culture’s belief of what gender roles are “supposed” to look like, let’s look at gender through a broader lens!

The worlds of BDSM and fetishism tap into a rich and varied history of human magical, emotional, spiritual, and energetic experience. Bring your curiosity as we explore eight major routes to altered states of consciousness and how they are accessed in alternative erotic expression. For example, rituals are passed down among “Leather” communities through the gifting of tribal garb, and rhythmic trance becomes an access point through cathartic flogging. Peeking at thousands of years of sacred practices from monasticism to hook suspension, ecstatic dance to channeling, we will examine how these tools have been “perverted” by modern erotic adventurers and also claimed as tools for deep and authentic spiritual journeying. In doing so we will become aware of these diverse journeys and approaches for use in our future academic and personal investigations.

Are you new to speaking in front of a crowd and want more skills? Perhaps you are an experienced speaker or educator who wants their lectures and presentations to stand out and be remembered? In this 6-hour intensive, come explore how to effectively use your voice and body language to communicate your message in a wide variety of teaching and speaking environments. From claiming your space to audience empathy, using vocal range to hiding your nervousness, we will plunge in together and come out more certain of our ability to deliver our message. Bring tools for taking notes and have an open mind for exploring the joy in passing on our passions. Students will receive a digital take-home packet, beyond in-class resources, for further developing their unique voice and skills.

When a baby is born, we lift them up and declare “it’s a boy” or “it’s a girl.” With one fell swoop a child’s gender identity, orientation, life experience, sexual behaviors, and social interactions have been painted upon them… but each of us is more complex than that. In this class we will examine the differences and intersections between sex, gender, sexual behavior, orientation, intimacy, and relationship styles. From gender roles to chromosomes beyond xx/xy, linguistic colonization to slut shaming, transgender awareness to homosocial behavior, let’s look at humanity through a broader lens! Students will have an opportunity to: • Develop a basic understanding of the differences between sex, gender, orientation, and sexual behavior • Examine the fallacies of biological sex as a binary • Discern the differences between assigned, legal, and perceived gender compared to gender identity and gendered behaviors • Recognize various cultural and sub-cultural underpinnings affecting an individual’s perception and choices around gender • Critique effects of race and privilege on the assumptions and discussions about gender • Explore when personal beliefs about sex, gender, and gendered behaviors affect clinical, educational, and everyday situations • Compare and contrast different terminology related to sexual and romantic orientation • Examine various influences that might affect people’s choices and behaviors around how and with whom they partner • Break down the nuances of sexual behavior and orientation that affect interactions with one’s sex and gender • Identify situations in which sexual orientation and behavior have been and are affected by oppression or external influences • Become a more proficient ally to transgender individuals and communities on a personal and professional level Buckle up for a wild ride through the diversity of the human experience.