I am a professional somatic sex educator and therefore my service is offered within clearly defined practice guidelines. It is guided by the Somatic Sex Education and Sexological Bodywork Association guidelines for ethical practice.
Clients are invited to work cooperatively with me on my standardized intake process as a way to welcome them into my practice and begin to learn more about them. I have an intake form that I ask clients to complete prior to attending a session with me.
Clients can choose the service approach that suits them best; talked-focused or touch-focused sex and intimacy coaching or both. Clients can change their mind about approach they wish for me to use at the beginning of each session.
My touch, when bodywork is requested in sessions, is one way only with respect to most somatic exercises. My touch is offered to my clients only when requested and when I deem it is safe to offer. Clients do not touch me. There are a few specific exercises that allow for two-way touch for educational purposes, and this education-focused two-way touch is non-sexual in nature. In sessions, I remain fully clothed at all times.
Body-based practices involving erotic touch in somatic sex education sessions must be:
- Clearly client requested at the beginning of the session
- Clearly client-directed during the session
- Offered within the spirit of being in sole service to the client
- Offered for educational purposes only to increase embodiment skills and practice opportunities
- Assessed by myself that touch is wanted and requested by the client, that it serves a useful purpose to the client for learning purposes and will not be harmful to the client
- Offered to adult clients only. Adults have the capacity to consent to touch and therefore it is offered as an educational tool on an optional basis for clients over the age of majority
My focus remains solely on being in the role of practitioner and being in service to my clients. I do not have a sexual or romantic relationship with my clients. My service as a somatic sex educator is intended to be offered on a short-term basis only. It is not meant to meet the romantic or sex needs for my clients on a personal basis; it is rather an educational service for clients to apply the learning to their personal romantic and sex life.
My client’s educational needs to increase access to sexual pleasure and healing and to improve their romantic, intimate, and sexual relationships in their life is my top priority.
These practice guidelines create a service container that is consistent, predictable, and safe for clients to access. My agreements with clients are identified clearly and my guidelines of ethical practice are consistently observed.