SEXABA 2026
CONFERENCE
SESSION INFO
9AM - 12PM CST
Workshop 1 - P in PLISSIT: Building Permission-Giving Skill Sets with Supervisees, Caregivers, and Community
Worner Leland, MS, BCBA, LBA (MO)
3 Hours
1 BACB Learning CEU & 2 BACB Supervision CEUs
Workshop Description:
Coming Soon
Workshop Objectives:
By the end of this workshop participants will be able to:
1. Identify at least 3 intake questions to include for beginning conversations with caregivers about sexual health and wellness across the lifespan.
2. Identify a range of Permission examples, non-examples, and close-in non-examples
1PM - 4PM CST: RESCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY FEB 01, 9AM-12PM CST
Workshop 2 - Your Body is a Temple and Pleasure is Holy: A Sacred Reckoning to Sexual Awakening and Liberation
Camille “Cammie” Williams, MSC, BCBA, LBA
3 Hours
1 BACB Ethics CEU & 2 BACB Learning CEUs
NOTE! Due to inclement weather impacting schedules, Workshop 2 - Your Body is a Temple and Pleasure is Holy: A Sacred Reckoning to Sexual Awakening and Liberation has been canceled live online for Thursday January 29 from 1PM-4PM CST and has been rescheduled live online for Sunday January 29 from 9AM-12PM CST. Asynchronous attendance has been extended through April 30, 2026.
See Sunday's schedule for full Workshop Description and Learning Objectives.
5PM - 6PM CST
Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies for Sexuality Education: Behavior Analysis Contributions
Dr. Valeria Parejo, DBH, BCBA, QBA
1 Hours
1 BACB Ethics CEU
Workshop Description:
Comprehensive sexuality education is a critical, often-overlooked component of promoting safety, autonomy, and well-being for autistic individuals. This presentation will address common misconceptions and the historical lack of appropriate resources by providing a clear, ethical, and evidence-based framework for teaching essential sexuality and relationship skills. Behavior analysts are uniquely positioned to use their expertise in individualized, data-driven instruction to fill this gap.
We will first establish a foundational understanding of sexuality education from a behavioral lens, emphasizing a broad definition that includes hygiene, consent, social boundaries, and healthy relationships. This will be followed by a deep dive into the ethical considerations outlined by the BACB, ensuring that all interventions prioritize client dignity, well-being, and informed consent.
The core of the presentation will highlight a range of evidence-based strategies, providing concrete examples for teaching complex skills. Finally, we will discuss how to address common challenges, collaborate with other professionals, and proactively teach skills to prevent exploitation.
Workshop Objectives:
By the end of this presentation participants will be able to:
1. Identify limitations of current sex education programs.
2. Discuss the ethical considerations and BACB guidelines relevant to this domain.
3. Describe evidence-based ABA strategies for teaching sexuality and relationship skills.
9AM-12PM CST
Workshop 3 - Skill Building for Health and Hygiene Education
Worner Leland, MS, BCBA, LBA (MO)
3 Hours
3 BACB Learning CEUs
Workshop Description:
Health and hygiene education encompasses a multitude of important skills across the lifespan, and additional skill sets are needed as clients approach puberty. In this workshop, participants will review current available behavior analytic research for teaching health and hygiene skills, and will discuss adaptations to these programs to increase trauma responsiveness and maximize privacy for learners as they work on vulnerable skills.
Workshop Objectives:
By the end of this workshop participants will be able to:
1. Identify current behavior analytic research for teaching health and hygiene skills.
2. Utilize component analysis for minimizing aversive stimuli experiencing in variable contexts.
3. Utilize Big 6 + 6 skill analysis for health and hygiene skills.
4. Identify trauma-responsive programming adaptations to maximize privacy, minimize vulnerability to harm, and promote televisibility in skill building.
12:30PM-1:30PM CST
Neurospicy and Naughty: Supporting AuDHD Clients in BDSM Exploration
Alix Generous, MS, BCBA, IBA
1 Hour
1 BACB Learning CEU
Presentation Description:
This workshop equips clinicians with practical, evidence-based strategies for supporting neurodivergent adults, particularly those with co-occurring autism and ADHD (AuDHD) in safely exploring BDSM. Merging lived experience with applied behavior analysis, the session emphasizes the use of Behavior Skills Training (BST), visual supports, and individualized prompting to teach safe, consensual scene negotiation, boundary-setting, and aftercare. Participants will explore how sensory processing differences, executive functioning challenges, and communication styles may influence a neurodivergent person’s experience of kink. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use tools, sample scripts, and guidelines for adapting supports based on client profiles, all while centering autonomy, consent, and harm reduction.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this presentation participants will be able to:
1. Describe how sensory sensitivities and executive functioning differences in AuDHD individuals may affect engagement in BDSM activities.
2. Apply Behavior Skills Training (BST) to teach negotiation, safeword use, and aftercare planning to neurodivergent adults exploring kink.
3. Create or adapt visual and prompting supports to assist clients in developing personalized and safe BDSM scenes.
2:00-3:00PM CST
Coaching Parents to Support LGBTQ+ Autistic Youth: A Behavior-Analytic, Affirming, and Sex-Positive Approach
Marshell Thomas (Shell), M.A., BCBA
1 Hour
1 BACB Learning CEU
Session Description:
Autistic youth who identify as LGBTQ+ face elevated risks of victimization, social exclusion, and mental health challenges, particularly when they lack access to affirming, developmentally appropriate support. As behavior analysts, we have a unique ethical responsibility—and opportunity—to coach parents in using behavior-analytic strategies to support their child’s development of bodily autonomy, identity expression, and consent-related skills.
This CEU-level presentation equips BCBAs with the tools to train and support caregivers in teaching critical sexuality and identity concepts through an affirming, sex-positive, and neurodiversity-competent lens. Participants will learn to apply core ABA strategies—including task analysis, shaping, modeling, and generalization—to parent training in topics like consent, gender expression, and personal boundaries. The session also emphasizes assent-based practice, trauma-informed care, and ethical considerations around scope, cultural humility, and referral to allied professionals.
Through research-backed content, case examples, and practical coaching scripts, attendees will gain the competence and confidence to center dignity, identity, and safety in their work with families of LGBTQ+ autistic youth.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session participants will be able to:
1. Identify elevated risks faced by LGBTQ+ autistic youth and the protective role of parental affirmation.
2. Apply behavior-analytic strategies (e.g., shaping, modeling, reinforcement) to coach caregivers in teaching consent and identity-related skills.
3. Demonstrate how to integrate trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming practices into parent training.
3:30-4:30PM CST
Consent, Disability, and ABA: What We Can Learn from Fries, Tea, and Pizza
Barb Gross, MA, MEd, MS, BCBA, LBA, CSE
1 Hour
1 BACB Learning CEU
Abstract: The word "consent" may mean different things, depending on context and audience. Conceptualizations of sexual consent are often delivered in metaphor or acronym by sexuality educators and abuse prevention specialists. It is possible to use these frameworks to explain other consent-based behaviors. Additionally, it is our responsibility to think critically about how some of our practices may violate consent/assent without due care. This conversation will explore consensual behavior as a consideration when supporting clients, as well as our role in teaching others how to engage in consent behaviors.
Learning Objectives:
1. Extend popular models of affirmative sexual consent to non-sexual consent
2. Identify practices within the field of applied behavior analysis which impact development of consent repertoires
3. Develop steps to build capacity to consent to sexual and non-sexual activities for learners with intellectual and developmental disabilities
POSTPONED: Age Confusion and Counterfeit Deviance in ID: Rethinking Risk Through Behavior Analysis and Sexual Education
Dr. Meaghan McCollow, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA
POSTPONED
Note: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Age Confusion and Counterfeit Deviance in ID: Rethinking Risk Through Behavior Analysis and Sexual Education will not be able to take place live online at this year's conference. We are hoping to record this CE with Dr. McCollow later this year, and it will be made available for free to current conference attendees if at all possible and if we are able to do so.
1 BACB Learning CEU will still be offered during this session time live online. Please join us for Consent, Disability, and ABA: What We Can Learn from Friend, Tea, and Pizza.
POSTPONED: Age Confusion and Counterfeit Deviance in ID: Rethinking Risk Through Behavior Analysis and Sexual Education
Session Description:
Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is inconsistently implemented across the United States (Grasso & Trumbull, 2023). And for youth with intellectual disabilities (ID) access to CSE becomes even more elusive. However, it is an important aspect of the development of healthy individuals. Without explicit instruction, individuals with ID are at risk of lack of information regarding sexual development, sexual and reproductive health, interpersonal relationships, affection, intimacy, body image, and gender expression. This lack of information can lead to misinformation about sexuality, lack of development of sexual and gender identities, and leaves these individuals open to abuse, or to becoming an offender, a less discussed issue, later in life. In this session, the presenter will overview concepts and topics related to offenders with ID and provide a framework for addressing concerns preemptively and in rehabilitative contexts from a behavior analytic perspective.
While there is extensive evidence that individuals with ID are at increased risk of being sexually assaulted and/or abused, a concern that has been highlighted in media (NPR, 2018), the evidence related to offenders, or those at-risk of offending, with ID is less easily obtained. While some individuals with ID will come into contact with the criminal justice system due to offending, many are also “diverted away from the criminal justice system for hospital or community treatment, rather than receiving a conviction” (Heppell et al., 2022). Because of this, it can be difficult to identify the prevalence of offending-type behaviors, however, the impact of either conviction or diversion to hospital or community settings has a similar result: a victim of the offense, and a rights restriction to the individual with ID.
A study of men with ID who offended against women and who offended against minors (Lindsay et al., 2011) compared results of group treatment, which included cognitive behavior therapy and sexuality education, on cognitive distortions pre and post treatment. Treatment reduced attitudes as assessed by QACSO (Questionnaire on Attitudes Consistent with Sex Offense) including attitudes related to rape, voyeurism, stalking, exhibitionism, and offenses against children. The QACSO is an assessment tool developed for the ID population to assess for cognitive distortions, assess treatment needs, and track treatment progress (Gray, 2020; Lindsey et al., 2004). A more recent meta-analysis (Heppell et al., 2022) reviewed the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral treatment on sex offenders with ID. One highlight from this meta-analysis was the inconsistency in how sexually abusive behaviors are reported for this population.
Identifying a course of education or treatment, depending on whether the individual with ID has offended or is displaying the potential for offense (i.e., risky sexual behaviors), is imperative to reducing risk and addressing lack of socio-sexual knowledge. An early study focused on men with ID who offended (Lunsky et al., 2009) found variability amongst sub-categories of offender groups (i.e., those with more serious offenses such as rape and sexual misconduct with minors, those with offenses categorized as inappropriate behavior) and differences in knowledge and attitudes related to socio-sexual education.
Because of the convergence of lack of CSE (whether through insufficient, inaccessible, or simply not available information) and the potential for offending sexual behaviors due to lack of information or misconceptions (i.e., cognitive distortions), it is imperative that treatment be focused on knowledge and skill building that also addresses attitudes and perceptions.
As practitioners plan for treatment, there are considerations to be made regarding where misinformation or misperceptions may occur for the ID population. Specific concepts for consideration include: counterfeit deviance and age confusion.
Counterfeit deviance. The term “counterfeit deviance” was first introduced by Hingsburger, Griffiths, and Quinsey in 1991 and is meant as a means of differentiating between individuals with ID “whose behaviors appeared like paraphilia but served a function that was not related to paraphilia sexual urges or fantasies” (Griffiths et al., 2013). Of importance for practitioners is recognizing the theoretical concept of counterfeit deviance versus offenses that serves a different function as the treatment approaches must differ. Determining function of behavior, regardless of topography of that behavior, is critical in teh assessment process. Practitioners should consistently consider counterfeit deviance, particularly in the face of behaviors that may be taboo in broader society.
Age confusion. The ability to distinguish between lifespan stages, such as childhood and adulthood, is important for functioning in the broader community. While making this distinction is an assumption across society (i.e., it is assumed that an adult can distinguish between a same-age or similar age peer and someone much younger), for individuals with ID, there may be a blurred distinction. And when an individual has difficulty with this distinction and engages in behavior that looks inappropriate (e.g., approaching children to play as an adult), this can lead to rejection from the community or more serious outcomes.
While there is more dated literature on the concept of age confusion, a recent study synthesized the existent literature and explored skills of adults with ID related to life stage recognition (Straccia et al., 2020). Results determined there is variability in results depending on cognitive abilities and materials used, however, the implications for determining skill-building tasks and generalization are provided.
The purpose of this presentation is to overview the context of individuals with ID who have offended or are at-risk for offending and to overview the concepts of counterfeit deviance and age confusion. Suggestions for framing these concepts and the treatment of individuals with ID with a history of harmful sexual behaviors in a behavior analytic framework will be provided, while specific treatments (i.e., a “how-to”) for these will be avoided. At the core of the presentation will be reinforcing the importance of determining function of behavior, regardless of topography of the behavior. Based on the presenter’s clinical experience, recommendations will be made, including the importance of supervision in development of SME and of referral when practitioner is not comfortable with history of behaviors or is not trained.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session participants will be able to:
1. Describe the concepts of counterfeit deviance and age confusion in individuals with intellectual disabilities, and explain their implications for assessment and treatment planning within a behavior analytic framework.
2. Identify risk factors associated with harmful sexual behavior in individuals with intellectual disabilities and outline strategies for addressing these risks through socio-sexual education.
5:00-6:00PM CST
Queering Self-Determination: Empowering LGBTQ+ Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in K–12 Education
Dr. Richard Price, PhD., CRC-CVE, BCBA-D; Dr. Joshua M. Pulos, Ph.D., BCBA, LBA-VA; & Nicole Adler
1 Hour
1 BACB Learning CEU
Session Description:
This presentation explores the intersection of disability and LGBTQ+ identities through the lens of self-determination and self-advocacy in K–12 education. Drawing from historical movements, theoretical frameworks, and lived experiences, including a powerful narrative from a self-advocate, the session introduces the “Queering Self-Determination Framework.” This model expands traditional understandings of self-determination to include gender and sexual identity development for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Participants will examine how ableism and queerphobia intersect in educational settings, limiting identity exploration and expression. The session offers practical strategies for educators to foster inclusive environments that support LGBTQ+ students with IDD in developing autonomy, self-awareness, and advocacy skills. Attendees will leave with tools to challenge systemic barriers and promote holistic identity development in their practice.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session participants will be able to:
1. Identify the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ students with IDD in expressing gender and sexual self-determination within K–12 educational settings.
2. Apply the Queering Self-Determination Framework to support identity development and self-advocacy among students with intersecting LGBTQ+ and disability identities.
3. Develop inclusive educational practices that integrate disability and LGBTQ+ histories to foster belonging and empowerment.
9AM-10AM CST
Complying by Choice or Complying by Force: Responding to Anti-Transgender Directives and Rhetoric
Dr. Gabriella Barrientos, PhD, MAE, BCBA, CDE, LBA, ICA, CSSC
1 Hour
1 BACB Supervision CEU
Session Description:
As of July 2025, 983 anti-transgender bills which directly impact transgender and gender diverse youth have been introduced. Many professionals are reporting uncertainty on how to create gender affirming environments across professional spaces in the context of political oppression. Professional organizations are making decisions which do not align with gender affirming values. As governing bodies continue to set poor examples by caving to the anti-trans climate, practitioners are being pressured to adjust their behavior away from affirmation and advocacy. The presenter will provide behavior analysts with tools and resources for how to respond to anti-transgender directives and rhetoric when working in their professional supervisory roles.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session participants will be able to:
1. Be given, and understand how to use, the decision tree for Responding to anti-transgender directives.
2. Identify and respond to dog whistle anti-transgender rhetoric within their personal and professional supervision roles.
3. Align pro-transgender values with pro-transgender behavior.
10:30AM-11:30AM CST
Ethical Considerations for Competence, Consent, and Assent in Sex Education with Autistic Learners
Moderator Janani Vaidya, MS, BCBA, IBA & Panelists Emanuel Frowner, Jude Afolake Olubodun, Madison Holcomb, Morrigan Hunter, & Violet Nova
1 Hour
1 BACB Ethics CEU
Session Description:
Coming Soon
Learning Objectives:
Coming Soon
12PM-1PM CST
Advancing Professional Development in Sexuality Education: Evaluating CEUs and Bridging Research to Practice
Elaine Gilmartin, BCBA and Dr. Richard Price, Ph.D., CRC-CVE, BCBA-D
1 Hour
1 BACB Ethics CEUs
Session Description:
Behavior analysts are ethically obligated to seek additional training when encountering topics outside their scope of competence, particularly in areas like sexuality education, where client needs are often underserved. Although the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) requires 32 continuing education units (CEUs) every two years, systemic barriers, such as high costs, limited access to peer-reviewed literature, limited collaboration with researchers, and inconsistent CEU quality, can hinder meaningful professional development. This presentation addresses three critical areas related to sexuality education and professional development in applied behavior analysis: (1) identifying barriers to professional development for BCBAs, (2) evaluating CEU quality and inclusivity, and (3) advocating for collaborative, practice-informed professional development. We present findings from a scoping review of CEUs, conferences, and peer-reviewed journal articles that address sexuality education in the context of applied behavior analysis. Special attention is given to how these resources meet the needs of marginalized populations, including LGBTQ+ and Latinx communities. Drawing on recent literature, we argue that CEUs should not be pursued solely to fulfill certification requirements. Instead, BCBAs can curate their professional development using quality indicators such as relevance, recency, evidence base, and presenter expertise. We also examine the ongoing gap between research and practice in applied behavior analysis, emphasizing that limited collaboration between researchers and practitioners can result in training content that is disconnected from clinical realities. While academic scholarship is important, assuming that expertise exists only within higher education institutions risks overlooking the lived experiences and practical insights of practitioners. Many researchers are not engaged in daily service delivery, and aligning their work with the realities of clinical practice would offer significant benefits, such as helping to close the research-to-practice gap. This presentation highlights the importance of open-access publishing, organizational investment in staff training, and collaboration to ensure that research and professional development are responsive to the needs of behavior analysts and the communities they serve. Participants will leave with tools to critically evaluate CEU offerings and identify inclusive and accessible professional development opportunities related to sexuality education. We advocate for an expanded understanding of expertise, recognizing the value of both academic scholarship and practitioner experience, and encourage engagement within research-to-practice efforts in behavior analysis.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session participants will be able to:
1. Identify systemic barriers that limit BCBAs’ access to high-quality continuing education and peer-reviewed literature related to sexuality education.
2. Evaluate the quality and accessibility of CEUs and conferences targeting sexuality education for behavior analysts, using findings from a scoping review and established quality indicators (e.g., relevance, recency, evidence base, presenter expertise).
3. Advocate for ethical and inclusive professional development by recognizing the value of practitioner experience, promoting collaboration between researchers and clinicians, and supporting open-access publishing and organizational investment in staff training.
2PM-3PM CST
Improving Interpersonal Relationship Skills with Autistic Young Adults Through Tailored Sexuality Education
Dr. Katy Wheeler, PhD, BCBA, LBA, LSSP
1 Hour
1 BACB Learning CEU
Session Description:
Autistic individuals often express a desire for friendships, dating, and romantic relationships, yet they frequently receive limited or inconsistent sexuality education. This presentation will walk practitioners through the delivery of a time-limited, eight-session, behaviorally-informed socio-sexuality curriculum designed for autistic young adults. Adapted from the Organization for Autism Research’s accessible online resources, the sessions focused on foundational skills in interpersonal relationships, including boundaries, consent, and navigating different types of relationships. Attendees will learn how the sessions and content were individualized to meet diverse learner needs, how progress was measured using the Interpersonal Relationships domain of the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS), and how behavior-analytic strategies were integrated throughout.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session participants will be able to:
1. Identify key components of a developmentally appropriate, behaviorally-informed sexuality education curriculum for autistic young adults.
2. Describe strategies for individualizing and delivering socio-sexual content in ways that promote skill acquisition, social validity, and learner dignity.
3:30PM-4:30PM CST
Back to Basics: A Proposed Treatment Model for Treating “Inappropriate Sexual Behavior”
Dr. Shane Spiker, PhD, BCBA-D, IBA
1 Hour
1 BACB Learning CEUs
Session Description:
Inappropriate sexual behavior (SIB) presents a significant clinical challenge across treatment settings. Further, behavior analytic practitioners are rarely trained in the complexities of sexuality, marking a significant elevated risk related to scope of competence. An additional concern is that behavior analysis has a significantly limited scope due to lack of empirical support, despite substantial evidence from other interdisciplinary fields. This presentation reviews current behavior analytic research on ISB, with an emphasis on ethical, data-driven, and socially valid treatment approaches. We will explore functional assessment strategies specific to ISB, including modified functional analyses and indirect assessments, and how these inform individualized interventions. Treatment approaches discussed will include differential reinforcement, response interruption and redirection, skill acquisition, and environmental modifications, with attention to maintaining client dignity and therapeutic rapport.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session participants will be able to:
1. Identify key functional assessment methods appropriate for evaluating inappropriate sexual behavior.
2. Describe behavior-analytic interventions that have demonstrated efficacy in reducing ISB while supporting appropriate skill replacement.
3. Discuss ethical considerations in the treatment of ISB, including maintaining dignity, client rights, and cultural sensitivity.
4. Apply trauma-informed and multidisciplinary strategies to real-world ISB case examples.
5. Implement a proposed treatment model based on scope of competence, current literature, and support needs
5PM-6PM CST
BDSM and Behavior Analysis: Understanding Power Exchange Through Contingencies and Consent
Alexis Boatright, RBT
1 Hour
Session Description:
Behavior analysts are uniquely positioned to understand human behavior through environmental contingencies, but many struggle to recognize or validate sexual behaviors that fall outside social norms. This presentation applies behavior analytic principles, such as motivating operations, discriminative stimuli, reinforcement schedules, rule-governed behavior, and relational framing, to the practices and dynamics of BDSM. Far from being inherently pathological or dangerous, consensual kink often involves extensive negotiation, explicit rule-setting, and ongoing feedback, all of which align with key principles of ethical ABA practice.
Using real-world vignettes, this session will demonstrate how Dominance/submission (D/s) and kink scenes can be functionally analyzed and affirmatively supported, especially when working with neurodivergent, disabled, or queer clients. Emphasis will be placed on distinguishing between coercive histories (e.g., compliance training) and healthy, consensual exchanges. Attendees will leave with a broader conceptual vocabulary, a deeper understanding of power exchange as a behavior system, and tools for supporting clients engaged in BDSM without judgment or pathologization.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session participants will be able to:
1. Define and describe key behavior analytic concepts, such as reinforcement, motivating operations, and rule-governed behavior, as they relate to consensual BDSM and power exchange.
2. Identify ethical considerations relevant to supporting autonomy, assent, and dignity when discussing or encountering diverse sexual expressions, including BDSM, in a behavioral setting.
3. Recognize how reinforcement histories and stimulus control can influence preferences and behavior within consensual power exchange dynamics, and describe how this applies to affirming client autonomy.
9AM - 12PM CST:
Workshop 2 - Your Body is a Temple and Pleasure is Holy: A Sacred Reckoning to Sexual Awakening and Liberation
Camille “Cammie” Williams, MSC, BCBA, LBA
3 Hours
1 BACB Ethics CEU & 2 BACB Learning CEUs
Workshop Description:
This presentation invites participants into a sacred reckoning with the religious ideologies that have historically shaped—and often silenced—female sexuality. Rooted in behavior analytic and womanist frameworks, we will examine how dominant religious narratives have contributed to sexual shame, repression, and disembodiment for women, particularly in faith-based and culturally conservative communities. Through critical deconstruction of biblical texts, purity culture, and the “your body is a temple” ideology, this session challenges attendees to explore how these messages have shaped beliefs about the body, pleasure, and moral worth. Using a blend of historical analysis, scriptural reframing, and embodied practice, the presentation centers the radical idea that pleasure is not sinful—it is sacred. Attendees will engage in guided reflection and evidence-informed exercises to identify, disrupt, and reconstruct belief systems that inhibit sexual agency and expression. Participants will also learn to generalize these strategies to support clients navigating internalized sexual shame, especially those from religious or culturally marginalized backgrounds. This presentation is especially relevant for behavior analysts, mental health professionals, and educators who wish to integrate culturally responsive, sex-positive practices into their work. By the end, participants will be equipped to hold space for sexual liberation as a form of self-love, healing, and spiritual wholeness.
Workshop Objectives:
By the end of this workshop participants will be able to:
1. Identify and describe at least three ways religious ideologies have historically shaped societal beliefs about female sexuality and pleasure.
2. Analyze he impact of purity culture and biblical narratives (e.g., “Your body is a temple”) on behavioral repertoires related to sexual shame and avoidance
3. Apply behavior analytic principles to support the unlearning and replacement of maladaptive sexual beliefs through culturally responsive and affirming practices.
4. Develop strategies to promote sexual agency, body autonomy, and pleasure-centered interventions and plan to generalize these strategies to your clients impacted by internalized religious sexual shame.
NOTE! Due to inclement weather impacting schedules, Workshop 2 - Your Body is a Temple and Pleasure is Holy: A Sacred Reckoning to Sexual Awakening and Liberation has been canceled live online for Thursday January 29 from 1PM-4PM CST and has been rescheduled live online for Sunday January 29 from 9AM-12PM CST. Asynchronous attendance has been extended through April 30, 2026.