Kinky Sex Ed & Poly 101 for Clinicians

Recorded: Winter, 2024 6 CEs

**First Session: Kinky Sex Ed for Clinicians **

In graduate school, many programs offered a very limited education on human sexual development. The topics covered were largely typical, normative experiences. This type of education leaves out so many other ways of being and leaves large gaps in our education about alternate ways of engaging with sex and relationships. 

Both sessions of this workshop--Kinky Sex Ed and Poly 101--are intended to help fill the gaps in clinical education and understanding. The goal is that the clinicians who attend will be more fully informed, more inclusive in their approach, and better able to support clients with “non-normative” sexual identities and experiences. 

Kink refers to any sexual interest or behavior that is outside what is considered normative. Research indicates that many people have explored kinks at some point in their lives, with many people having a kink as a core component of their sexual experiences. This course will identify common kink terms, concepts, and identities so that the clinicians who attend can better support kinky-identified clients.

Objectives:

Learn how kink is defined and connected to social constructs of normativity Have a basic understanding of common kink identities Learn basic kink terms and cultural norms Know the differences between and among kinks, fetishes, and BDSM Explore how kinks develop and change over time and sexual development Define healthy and ethical kink Identify ethical concerns in kink culture

Second Session: Poly 101 for Clinicians

In graduate school, many programs offered a very limited education on human sexual development, and the topics covered were largely typical, normative experiences. This type of education leaves out so many other ways of being and leaves large gaps in our education about alternate ways of engaging with sex and relationships. Kinky Sex Ed and Poly 101 are both intended to help fill the gaps in clinical education and understanding so that clinicians can be more informed and able to support clients with “non-normative” sexual identities and experiences.

The socialization that prioritizes monogamy starts very early in Western culture, with messages about faithfulness, loyalty, jealousy, and love all being inexplicably intertwined. The reality is that--for many people--monogamy simply doesn’t work well for them. This course will explore key terms and concepts of Ethical Non-Monogamy (ENM) and how to offer support to our clients in the clinical setting.

Objectives: 

Learn monogamous and non-monogamous relationship types Explore basic terms and concepts of ethical non-monogamy (ENM) Identify the role of monogamy culture on all relationship types Define the differences between envy, jealousy, and trauma responses when navigating ENM Understand common ethical concerns in ENM Identify benefits associated with non-monogamous relationship dynamics

EPDC CE Hours: 6

Presenter: B. Lourenco, LMHC

B Lourenco is a licensed mental health counselor, educator, advocate, and activist. B has been working in community support for 15 years and is committed to social change on all system levels. Seeing mental health as a way to serve the community, she earned a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology, with a Systems Emphasis, in 2015 and began her private practice in 2017. B has also worked in the public school system, providing support to students with behavioral issues that made attending school challenging for them. Highly trained in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), B became a district-wide expert in supporting neurodivergent students. It was during this work that she began to be critical of the current models of support for neurodivergence, including ABA. Making the shift from the medical to the affirming model has allowed her to finally identify her own neurodivergence, including Autism and ADHD. Combining her lived experience of neurodivergence, along with years of anti-oppression work, B is passionate about helping others untangle themselves from harmful practices and align themselves with those that instead support marginalized communities. In addition to her work in neurodiversity, B is also a sex and relationship therapist, specializing in ethical non-monogamy and kink exploration. She has been a speaker on panels and podcasts, as well as facilitating therapeutic workshops in her area of Washington State.