The Guide to Sexuality Professionals
The Guide to Sexuality Professionals by Stacie Ysidro is especially valuable for anyone who feels lost in the landscape of sexual health options or isn’t sure what type of approach would work best for their personality and needs. Essentially transforming what is often a confusing, overwhelming, and stigmatized process into an accessible, personalized, fun and empowering experience.
When choosing to explore sexuality, spirituality and relationships it can be challenging to figure out who does what and where to go to get the type of support needed at the time.
The foundation of the Guide to Sexuality Professionals is based on over 15 years of my work and educational experience. I created this guide to provide you with some information and clarity about who does what within the world of sexuality professionals.
Providing a clear roadmap instead of endless Google searches – Helping you identify what type of approach actually fits your needs, desires and boundaries – Saving you time and money by avoiding mismatched professionals and bad experiences. Therefore helping you understand if we are a good fit to work together.
My hope is that you are able to discern which professional is right for you. In addition to helping you choose where to start and where to go next on your journey all while staying In alignment with yourself and those you choose to be in relationship with.
If you find that what I offer is right for you, book a complimentary 15min call to say hello and schedule your session.
What Are Sexuality Professionals?
A sexuality professional is a person who specializes in human sexuality, encompassing areas like sexual health, behavior, and well-being. Each with a distinct focus ranging from physical to metaphysical (non physical) , medical to non medical. Entertainment to education.
Examples: Sex Therapists, Sex Coach, couples councilors, sex educators, sexual surrogate, doctors, psychologist. Adult entertainers, Pro Dom, content creators, tantra practitioners, Virtual sex workers, in person sex workers. Activists and researchers. Somatic bodyworkers, Somatic Sexologists, Sexological Bodyworkers…..
How to use the Gui.de to Sexuality Professionals
Couples use this Guide to facilitate discussions about what type of support to seek together. Reviewing the guide together will reduce conflict about what kind of help to pursue. Identify whether you need individual or couples-focused approaches
Steps to Choosing the Right Sexuality Professional: Five things to consider
- Information: knowing what options are available, (probably why you are reading this post? )
- Understanding of self/what’s present
- Knowing a desired outcome
- Ability and willingness to communicate what’s present with self and desired outcome
- Erotic Alignment: honoring yourself, belief system, values and relationship dynamics (which can change over time based on agreements, the understanding of information and experience you have at the time).
The only person judging you is you. This is your opportunity to get really honest about what is most important to you at this time.
To get the most out of the Guide to Sexuality Professionals try this Practice:
Reserve a few moments to slow down, stretch, breathe deep and tune into your body.
Use your imagination to wave a magic wand: pause all judgments of self and others, remove all the limitations and excuses you can find. Just see what appears and write it down.
- What do I want?
- Why do I want that?
- Are there other people involved or included?
- What are the benefits of me getting what I want?
- How do I want to be helped?
- What does moving forward look like, fell like in my body?
- How much physical interaction do I want?
More about touch:
- One way touch: provider to client touch based on consent
- Two way touch: mutual touch between provider and client based on consent.
It’s absolutely natural to have more than one goal or intention, list those out and prioritize them.
What’s most important?
Remember no judgments
Now thank yourself and celebrate that!
What’s the priority ?
Entertainment or education?
Physical or Non-physical?
Exercise your privilege to choose by reading some of the options below.
Use the Guide to Sexuality Professionals to see which experts are options for you based on how you rate these 5 things
Entertainment, Education, Physical, Non/Meta Physical and Edutainment
Education
- Learn something new
- Get deeper understanding and clarity on a topic
- Self-help
- Personal growth, development and transformation
- Strong hierarchy
- Fixed power dynamic
Medicalization, Academic For people who:
- needs require licensed professionals with formal credentials that diagnose and treat medical related issues
- mental health crisis or unmanaged mental health symptoms,
- hormone imbalances
- injuries, surgeries.
- past trauma currently causing issues or am ‘stuck in the past’ unable to move forward.
Therapy: Falls within the medicalization realm the intention is to diagnose and treat something that is deemed wrong with you. It is usually focused on the past helping someone to move into the present. Strict rules and guidelines on how to interact and treat patients based on board certifications and regulations.
Coaching: Present to future focused, non-medical. We acknowledge the past as influencing where we are today, concluding you are not broken or wrong, you simply desire change or want something different than you are experiencing now.
We assess and create action plans based on the clients choice. We make referrals to other professionals based on our clients needs and our specialties.
What does a sex coach do?
I will reference Doctor Patti Britton, co founder of Sex Coach U. What I learned from attending her training program and reading her books is that sex coaching involves 2 separate areas, sexuality, sexology and coaching.
Many of us are familiar with coaching in relation to sports, business,personal, leadership development….
However, sexuality is a very specific topic and people often need accurate sexual health information and education in order to get the most out of the coaching experience.
There is a physical aspect to sexuality where medicalization may be needed. Coaching doesn’t encompass this aspect of sexuality. However, we have resources and connections to professionals that do.
With that being said, coaching with sexual education, in addition to whatever specialty, one chooses to embrace….create a very unique sex coaching experience!
Coaching is not a regulated industry like counselors and therapists. Therefore you see a range of certifications and levels of expertise.
Entertainment
- For your pleasure and enjoyment
- Non medical, non academic
- Relaxation, Integration
- Novelty, Fun
- Distraction, Escape
- Less hierarchy and flexible power dynamic
- Focus on other as source
For people who
- looking for something enjoyable and pleasurable
- want to explore for fun and novelty, not to fix a problem
- prefer a relaxed, playful atmosphere
- want to focus on pleasure and enjoyment
- seeking new experiences and adventures
Physical
- In person interactive
- Levels of touch vary based on modality and consent
- One way touch: provider to client touch based on consent
- Two way touch: mutual touch between provider and client based on consent.
For people who
- learn better through hands-on, physical experience
- comfortable with appropriate professional touch as part of the process
- prefer in-person sessions over virtual ones
- I want to work with my body, not just talk about it
- I’m open to or want touch, bodywork or somatic approaches
Somatic modalities
- Body based: using the information of the body to inform the mind
- Includes the mind, emotions, talk and variety of touch options based on provider and consent
Remember:
-
- One way touch: provider to client touch based on consent
- Two way touch: mutual touch between provider and client based on consent.
Tantra Practitioner: various touch options and power dynamic options based on provider
Sexological Bodywork: set power dynamic, one way touch: facilitator to client only
Sex Coaching: set power dynamic, touch options vary by coach. If touch, usually one way touch only.
Non physical/meta-physical
- online
- phone
- Visual: Videos
- Books
- Virtual
- Demos
- Auditory
- Talking
- No physical touch between provider and client
For people who
- I prefer to keep things conversational and non-physical
- I’m more comfortable with online or phone sessions
- rather work through talking, reading, or visual materials
- prefer to maintain physical boundaries
- interested in the emotional and spiritual aspects of sexuality
- prefer online sessions or remote guidance
- like working with books, videos, or audio materials
- drawn to mindfulness, meditation, or energy work approaches
- want to explore consciousness and connection beyond the physical
Edutainment:
Learning Through Guided Play and Exploration:
- Blend of entertainment and education
- Have fun and learn something
- Less hierarchy
- Power dynamic less prominent while is facilitator leading
- Touch level varies
For people who
- prefer interactive learning over lectures or clinical discussions
- looking for educational experiences that feel playful and creative
- want expert guidance delivered in a fun, approachable way
- enjoy workshops, classes, or guided experiences that teach while entertaining
- prefer organized activities that are both educational and enjoyable
- I like having a framework to learn within, but want it to be engaging
- drawn to demonstrations, interactive content, or hands-on learning
- prefer professionals who can explain complex topics in entertaining ways
- like learning from someone knowledgeable who doesn’t take themselves too seriously
- want credible information presented in an engaging format
Key Points to remember when choosing a professional to help you with you intimacy and relationship issues:
- Remember each professional has their own way of doing what they do.
- Get really clear about the agreements and container of the session: with the provider, partner and for yourself
- You may need to explore a variety of providers within a modality to find someone that’s a good fit for you and your goals.
- The more clear you are about where you’re at and what you want, the better you will be able to choose a professional that’s in alignment with you.
- Move as fast as the slowest moving part. It’s best to start where you’re at and take achievable easy steps towards your big vision.
- Do your research before reaching out.