What Is A Sexuality Doula®?
What is a Sexuality Doula®?
I coined the term Sexuality Doula and pioneered its method of healing in 2014 to describe the deep and profound work I do as an educator, healer, and facilitator in the realm of sex education and sexuality embodiment.As a Sexuality Doula, I educate, facilitate, support, and hold space for women and femme-identifying folks who are ready to step out of shame, confusion, and fear within their sexuality and into erotic empowerment—whatever that looks like for them. I am an advocate for their sexual liberation, for the hopes, dreams, and desires that have regarding their sexual life, and I work intimately with my clients and students to help them uncover and bring healing to their sexuality, their bodies, their identity, and their relationships—both with their partners and with themselves.A hybrid of coaching, therapy, mentoring, teaching, and sincere friendship, when I work with my students and private clients as a Sexuality Doula, I utilize my skills and years of experience as an educator, researcher, and activist in the realm of sex, somatics, and body acceptance to help them become who they want to be as sexual individuals. I call upon my gifts as an intuitive and healer to encourage and foster deep transformation outside of inhibition, and I pull from my own experience as someone who has been oppressed by shame and stigma within their sexuality. My work is trauma-informed, BIQTPOC-centered, and has a foundation in anti-capitalist, anti-racist, intersectional, radical Womanist principles.All of that, combined with my inherent knack for empathetic witnessing and creating and holding safer, inclusive spaces, is what makes up the philosophy and practice of being and facilitating as a Sexuality Doula.For more on my work as a Sexuality Doula, check out these interviews:
You can also listen to episode 37: Ask A Sexuality Doula on my podcast, The Sexually Liberated Woman.
What exactly do you do? What's it like to work with you?
When people hear the 'sexuality doula' their minds immediately envision me being in a room watching people have sex and coaching them through it. While I'm not opposed to my work expanding to that level of client interaction, my work, as it stands now, is designated outside of the bedroom while being fully clothed.I work primarily with people in two ways—in private sessions via my sexual liberation + healing intensive and through facilitating talks, workshops, and courses. With my private clients, our work together looks very similar to being in a therapy session. We talk, we process, I ask a lot of questions, and gently encourage you to go deeper. I also love to assign 'homework' to my clients to further deepen what we've worked through and to get them to actually embody it. As a workshop and course facilitator, my work looks exactly like an educator—I teach, I encourage curiosity, and give you permission to discover yourself, all within a space that I have created to be as safe and inclusive as possible.For more on my sexual liberation + healing intensive, click here.For more on my digital guides + courses, click here.
Why "Doula"?
The word doula is more traditionally associated with childbirth but has, in recent years, expanded to be used within other methods of healing, support, and education—there are now death doulas, postpartum doulas, even abortion doulas. Doulas of all kinds work to facilitate, educate, support, and hold space for folks going through deep transitions within their lives (or deaths). I as a Sexuality Doula help guide women and femmes through the courageous and radical transition from sexual shame and into their erotic power.I also use doula intentionally because this is a word whose etymology is "slave girl". In this way, when I, a Black queer femme, call myself and practice as a Sexuality Doula™, I am paying homage to my African ancestors before me who did this important work, as well as tracing and honoring my lineage as a descendant from enslaved witches, healers, teachers, and practitioners. This work is in my blood.
Can I call myself a Sexuality Doula®? How do I become one?
Sexuality Doula is a registered trademark by Ev'Yan Whitney and cannot be used by anyone without prior written approval. Because I recognize the importance and power of this work, I am in stages of creating a specific mentorship program to train and certify others within my Sexuality Doula methodology for those who wish to champion this method of education and healing alongside me. Until this happens, please refrain from using or calling yourself a Sexuality Doula as it pertains to standard trademark guidelines and policy.
Want to hire me as your Sexuality Doula®?
I am currently not accepting new clients for my sexual liberation + healing intensive, but there are other ways for you to get a taste of my work. Just go here to peruse my digital shop.You can also check out my podcast, The Sexually Liberated Woman, to hear my voice and also hear stories from clients I've worked with in the pastTo hire me to speak at your university, event, or to have me teach at your retreat, please contact dan@danowensmgmt.com.