Erotic Healing:
Somatic Sex Education, Sexological Bodywork, & Intimacy Coaching

We're often taught that pleasure, joy, and satisfaction are what's left after we “deal” with all of our stressors and "fix" all of the "shortcomings" of our bodies. After we pay the bills, lose the weight, wash the dishes, get just the right haircut, put the kids to bed… then we’ll finally be able to relax and enjoy ourselves.

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But in practice, we may find that these "perfect" moments are few and far between - the to-do list continues to grow, tragic news stories continue to flood our screens, one work deadline merges into the next. And in those few and far between moments when we think we (mostly) Have It All Figured Out, pleasure can be frustratingly hard to access. Our minds don't stop running. Our bodies don't do the things we want and expect them to do.​

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You may even start to think… Is there something wrong with me? Is it because I'm not good enough? Was I expecting too much? Is this really all there is? If I just go out and achieve some more, then will I maybe finally be worthy and deserving?

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​​But what if you already have everything you need to connect to your deepest erotic self, just as you are now? What if sitting with pleasure, or even attempting to sit with the possibility of pleasure, was enough to neurologically rewire you to feel more of it more often? What if you could wake up every day with a deep sense of gratitude, comfort, and home in your own body?

Let’s make it happen!​​

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My Approach

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My practice sits at the intersection of trauma therapy, bodywork, and human sexuality. I specialize in working with clients who have limited sexual experience, are survivors of childhood trauma, identify as neurodivergent, struggle with body image and chronic shame, and/or are looking to explore expansiveness in their gender and/or sexuality. I also work with common complaints such as erectile "dysfunction," "performance" anxiety, "premature" ejaculation, anorgasmia, chronic pelvic pain, difficulties with dating, attachment issues (anxious / avoidant / disorganized), sex and/or porn "addiction," and other challenges that may be causing dissatisfaction in ones romantic and/or sexual life.

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I am a Certified Somatic Sex Educator and Sexological Bodyworker, having completed hundreds of hours of formal training in these erotic healing modalities alongside others. In addition to formal training, my practice is informed by my personal study of tantra, kink, yoga, and multiple therapeutic modalities, as well as my own journey of healing from childhood sexual abuse and attachment trauma.

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I prioritize creating a welcoming non-judgmental container for you to express your desires, safely explore the edges of your comfort zone, and sit with vulnerable emotions. My approach is acceptance-based, consent-forward, trauma-informed, queer-affirming, kink-friendly, justice-oriented, and client-centered. I welcome clients of all ages (18+), genders, orientations, ethnicities, body sizes, and physical abilities.​​​
 

My focus on working with a small number of repeat clients allows me to understand your unique needs and tailor my approach accordingly, helping you navigate specific sexual, emotional, and/or relational challenges you may be experiencing so you can tap into the most authentic & joyful version of yourself!

Session Overview​

While each session is unique, they typically have a general arc. We begin with a brief grounding practice to support greater presence, resource you for our work together, and provide you with nervous system regulation tools you can bring into your daily life. From there, we check-in on what’s been happening in your world since our last session and I share ideas of what we can focus on today. Some sessions are more experiential and practice-based, while others are more conversational and rely more heavily on verbal processing. We close by reflecting on key insights and identifying integration practices (“homework”) to support continued growth between sessions.

Sessions often revolve around therapeutic somatic exercises specifically tailored to address your challenge areas. These exercises break down the complex world of intimacy into bite-size pieces that can be practiced in a safe, controlled, and slow-downed container to reveal and reprogram automatic patterns. For example, we may play with eye contact, body language, physical proximity / personal space, making requests, learning what yes / no / maybe feel like in your body, identifying and stating boundaries, navigating discomfort around sexually explicit conversations or situations, staying present while receiving touch, or offering touch to another with specific qualities and intentions, among countless other dynamics.

Clients are often pleasantly surprised by just how much of a difference they notice in their day-to-day life from mindfully engaging in these structured explorations. Our sessions are also a safe container for you to verbally process and receive coaching support around specific situations that may be arising in your romantic and/or sexual life. I use tools from the frameworks of Somatic Experiencing and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help you identify underlying emotions and stories related to your challenges, as well as offering practical suggestions and possible avenues for resolution.

Many of my clients get everything they need from our work together and see tremendous improvement while remaining fully clothed throughout all of our sessions. However, I am also trained in a variety of modalities that can benefit from partial or full nudity of the client, such as sensate focus, wheel of consent, scar issue remediation, genital demouring, genital mapping, pleasure mapping, and body image mirror work. While it is always completely optional and never expected, part of what makes my work unique is my comfort with bodies and capacity to offer dedicated healing work that may involve nudity and/or genitals.

In my role as an erotic healer, I am a practitioner holding space for the healing and growth of my clients. My underwear always remains on and my own genitals never get involved. While I am a human being who might experience arousal or desire, I am here to support your process, not try to cultivate my own. You can learn more by reviewing the Code of Ethics & Code of Conduct for Certified Sexological Bodyworkers here.

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Testimonials

"I worked with Sage to navigate and begin to heal from past trauma. Her kind, supportive, and professional approach allowed me the space to be challenged and heal from past experiences. Sage is a wonderful and thoughtful person to work with, and I would recommend her to others."

- R.A., 40, El Cerrito​​

"You were clearly put on this planet to be doing exactly this work. I know I say this at the end of each of our sessions, but I continue to be blown away by how much I get out of each one."

- M.D., 29, Palo Alto

"Knowing what safe healthy intimacy feels like in my body has completely changed every facet of my life. Thank you for showing me that I'm capable of feeling safety and pleasure. I am confident in myself in a way I didn't realize I could ever be."

- M.V., 39, San Francisco

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"I started seeing Sage because I hadn't had a proper erection in almost 5 years and was seriously considering surgery to get a penile implant. After a few months of working together on both stuff in my childhood and stuff in the here & now, it's now not unusual for me to wake up with an erection. Sage helped me realize that what I thought was merely a physical issue actually had roots in a lot of deep childhood trauma that had been following me around every day for the last 70 years. I feel so much lighter and capable of experiencing connection, joy, and pleasure in a way I hadn't ever before after our work together, and for that I am infinitely grateful."

- S.T., 75, Berkeley

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Logistics​

If you're interested in working with me, all you need to do to get started is fill out the Erotic Healing Inquiry Form at the bottom of this webpage. If it seems like a good fit, I will reach out to you via your preferred contact method (email or text) and schedule a 15 - 20 minute complementary consultation video or phone call so that we can get to know each other a bit better and I can answer any questions you may have. If we decide to go through with working together, I'll send you a brief intake form and schedule our first session!

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Based on your needs, preferences, and goals, we can work together to determine session frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) and specific erotic healing modality (Somatic Sex Education, Surrogate Partner Therapy, etc.). There's absolutely no need for you to have any of these things already figured out in order to reach out!

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I typically see erotic healing clients out of a private studio in Emeryville, CA (between Oakland & Berkeley). However, I will occasionally make arrangements to visit clients that I already see on an ongoing basis in their own home in the East Bay or San Francisco. Additionally, I ocassionally offer fully virtual coaching sessions for those based outside of the San Francisco Bay Area.