The Intertwining of Pleasure, Sexuality, and Liberation with Sex and Relationship Coach Dawn Serra

In this episode, Dawn Serra, a counselor and coach from British Columbia, shares her journey from hosting MLM sex toy parties to becoming a sex and relationship coach. She discusses her experiences with fat activism, body trust, and the importance of non-stigmatizing mental health care for people in larger bodies. Dawn emphasizes the significance of self-worth, boundary setting, and reclaiming pleasure and sexuality, particularly for marginalized groups. She also touches on the concept of desirability politics and how societal norms shape our perceptions of attractiveness and self-worth. Dawn's insights offer a profound look into how individuals can begin to reclaim their bodies and experiences from oppressive cultural narratives, advocating for a life filled with joy, satisfaction, and aliveness.

Dawn’s personal story reflects a lifelong struggle with body image and dieting. From an early age, societal pressures and familial attitudes towards dieting shaped a disordered relationship with food and self-perception. The journey toward fat activism was transformative, leading Dawn to practice body trust and advocate for fat liberation in their professional sphere. This approach underscores the significance of not succumbing to societal stigmas and instead fostering self-acceptance and self-love.

Dawn emphasizes the importance of pleasure as a radical act of reclaiming one's body and autonomy, breaking away from diet culture, and the challenges in navigating relationships while in fat bodies. The conversation also touches on the societal impact of desirability politics, spatial injustice, and the necessity of integrating body size into the intersectional lens in mental health care. Dawn encourages the practice of finding micro moments of joy and satisfaction as a form of empowerment and resilience.

Guest Bio: 

Dawn Serra is a white, cis, queer, superfat, disabled therapist specializing in relationships, pleasure, and body trust. She is co-founder of Tend and Cultivate Counseling, a mental health group practice providing trauma-informed, weight-neutral, radical mental health care for people in bigger bodies. The nexus of her work is tending to the places where we are most tender and cultivating the things that contribute to our aliveness - joy, pleasure, connection, satisfaction, and wonder.

 

In this episode of Taking Up Space, we discussed:

 

Exploring Body Image and Fat Activism

Supporting Mental Health in Larger Bodies

Navigating Relationships and Self-Worth

Connecting Pleasure and Worthiness

Cultural Narratives and Systems of Oppression

The Three Pillars of Pleasure

The Power of Pleasure in the Present Moment

Understanding the Pillars of Pleasure

Connecting with the Senses

Micro Pleasure Practices and Autonomy

The Impact of Oppression on Pleasure

Fat Liberation and Spatial Injustice

Desirability Politics and Body Liberation

Reclaiming Pleasure and Setting Boundaries

Taking Up Space and Honoring Capacity

Connect with Dawn Serra:⁠ ⁠

• ⁠https://tendandcultivate.com⁠

• ⁠https://instagram.com/tendandcultivate⁠

• ⁠https://instagram.com/dawn_serra⁠

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