One of the things that can get me down as a sexuality professional is how often our skills are devalued or undervalued in our society.

Off the top of my head, some of the things that I have to offer include:

Teaching folks how to properly use barrier methods.

Talking with people about things that make them feel ashamed and validating that there is in fact nothing wrong with them.

Sharing information about healthy relationships and how to define and uphold boundaries.

Getting people better in touch with themselves and learning to tune in to their own internal and authentic wisdom.

Unpacking STI stigma and sharing shame-free harm reduction protocols.

Sitting with people through the deepest and murkiest parts of their trauma and refusing to abandon them just because they’re facing something hard.

Helping folks understand and come to terms with important aspects of their gender and sexuality.

And on, and on, and on…

The work we do is so important and it’s sometimes demoralizing to know what a difference these skills make in the world while simultaneously realizing how little they’re respected… in some cases they’re even being made illegal. The work feels so important (especially now) and in spite of the challenges, seeing my students and clients light up is what keeps me coming back. Still — it can be hard on one’s heart!