the bodpoe, Summer 2015
the body poetik was named for Walt Whitman's famous "I Sing the Body Electric"
Seth lives in a group home, he does not drive, and he is on a low budget like many people with disabilities. Planning took considerable time and effort on his part. I was truly flattered when he chose his birthday, last Sunday, to arrange the two-hour drive to come and see me , to have a body poetik session.
Afterward, Seth treated me to dinner at The Golden Corral. here he is above, with his personal care attendant, Priscilla. She was an added bonus to finally getting to work with Seth. Priscilla is a musician and young mom who is planning to enter social work. She was very curious about my background as a social worker turned intimacy coach. We talked on and on. The three of us had a beautiful Sunday together.
To me, meeting new colleagues is just as important as finding great clients. Recently, John Arnaldi reached out to me. He is an intimacy coach in Tampa and he stumbled upon my website when doing a search for other professionals in the field. I was thrilled! This intimacy work can, paradoxically, be so lonely. Many people don't understand what I offer and react with disinterest or negativity.
John and I met for coffee and it was so validating! I especially appreciate that he is my elder and that he has worked for 25 years as a mental health counselor in the Tampa area. He is also super familiar with the training and sexperts from California that have shaped my practice, so it was very easy to share experiences with him and compare consulting strategies.
"Mixed orientation relationships are those in which your sexual identity/orientation differs from your partner's. I have a lifetime of personal experience living as a bisexual in a mixed orientation marriage. As a sex and intimacy coach, I help individuals and couples come out from the shadows so they can talk honestly, grow in their understanding of their sexuality, negotiate new ways of being together, and decide if they will continue in relationship together. I also lead support groups in Tampa for men, bisexuals, and mixed orientation couples."
Internal Landscapes and Shadow Stories Workshop - with John Ollom (see Internal Landscapes) and John Arnaldi - $150. Tampa, FL - September 19, 2015 - 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. Register before September 1st for $25 discount.
Get Naked and Get Moving - a clothing-optional movement class for men with John Ollom - $25. Tampa, FL - September 20, 2015 - 10 A.M. to 11:15 A.M. Plus optional Naked Yoga class for men (additional fee of $15) 11:30 to 12:45.
Soon, John and I plan to team up to facilitate a Building Sex Positive Community Meet-Up group. If you are interested, be in touch so I can email when we have posted details.
I hope to meet more colleagues like John at the first-ever Sex Down South Conference in Atlanta, October 15-17.
xoxo, thebodpoe
“This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body.”A great poet of the flesh is Seth Taylor, of Port Charlotte, Florida. He and I have been corresponding for almost two years now, via Facebook. Seth has spastic cerebral palsy. His hands are contracted in to tight fists and his voice is impaired, but he is fluent with his toes. Not only does he type with his toes, he has written a book called The World at My Feet, which roams from the landscape and wildlife along the Myakka Rver, baseball, accessible home design, the way the internet has created a socio-cultural revolution for people with disabilities, to many other subjects.
Seth lives in a group home, he does not drive, and he is on a low budget like many people with disabilities. Planning took considerable time and effort on his part. I was truly flattered when he chose his birthday, last Sunday, to arrange the two-hour drive to come and see me , to have a body poetik session.
Afterward, Seth treated me to dinner at The Golden Corral. here he is above, with his personal care attendant, Priscilla. She was an added bonus to finally getting to work with Seth. Priscilla is a musician and young mom who is planning to enter social work. She was very curious about my background as a social worker turned intimacy coach. We talked on and on. The three of us had a beautiful Sunday together.
To me, meeting new colleagues is just as important as finding great clients. Recently, John Arnaldi reached out to me. He is an intimacy coach in Tampa and he stumbled upon my website when doing a search for other professionals in the field. I was thrilled! This intimacy work can, paradoxically, be so lonely. Many people don't understand what I offer and react with disinterest or negativity.
John and I met for coffee and it was so validating! I especially appreciate that he is my elder and that he has worked for 25 years as a mental health counselor in the Tampa area. He is also super familiar with the training and sexperts from California that have shaped my practice, so it was very easy to share experiences with him and compare consulting strategies.
"Mixed orientation relationships are those in which your sexual identity/orientation differs from your partner's. I have a lifetime of personal experience living as a bisexual in a mixed orientation marriage. As a sex and intimacy coach, I help individuals and couples come out from the shadows so they can talk honestly, grow in their understanding of their sexuality, negotiate new ways of being together, and decide if they will continue in relationship together. I also lead support groups in Tampa for men, bisexuals, and mixed orientation couples."
Internal Landscapes and Shadow Stories Workshop - with John Ollom (see Internal Landscapes) and John Arnaldi - $150. Tampa, FL - September 19, 2015 - 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. Register before September 1st for $25 discount.
Get Naked and Get Moving - a clothing-optional movement class for men with John Ollom - $25. Tampa, FL - September 20, 2015 - 10 A.M. to 11:15 A.M. Plus optional Naked Yoga class for men (additional fee of $15) 11:30 to 12:45.
Soon, John and I plan to team up to facilitate a Building Sex Positive Community Meet-Up group. If you are interested, be in touch so I can email when we have posted details.
I hope to meet more colleagues like John at the first-ever Sex Down South Conference in Atlanta, October 15-17.
"In addition to a diverse range of sexuality based workshops, Sex Down South will offer attendees access to various education stations where participants can learn and practice sexy skills taught by experts, as well as attendance at our one-of-a-kind SEXxATL talks by local Atlanta experts.
The theme of Sex Down South 2015 is Transcending Sex, and will include an in-depth exploration of different tantric practices. With industry experts, keynote speakers and vendors from around the country, the 2015 Sex Down South conference is not to be missed.
Expect over 50 presenters and workshops to choose from including appearances by Sex Celebs including: Devi Ward, Tristan Taormino, Amy Jo Goddard, Lee Harrington, Dr. Ruth Neustifter, and Dr. Tamara Campbell-Griffin!"If you are a professional sex-plorer, it is not too late to register, though rates are going up. Or, schedule a consult with me when I return, as I will have plenty of new skills and sensual inspiration to share.
xoxo, thebodpoe