Could you briefly say something about where the training comes from?

The forerunners of the training emerged in the USA in the 80s as a response to the AIDS pandemic. I find that particularly interesting because we are currently in a pandemic again. The profession has to reinvent itself and consider how somatic learning can be taught online. At that time, the impulse to say came from the gay scene in particular and from activism and resistance: We don't want our desire and our gender identity to be pathologized. Rather, we want to be able to live out our sexuality despite the pandemic, because healing also happens here, both individually and collectively. This raised the question of how human beings can use sexual energy, not only in the context of two-person penetration, but as a form of group healing, such as through collective masturbation or orgasmic yoga. The person who then founded SexBod then noticed quite quickly that this does not only apply to this special group, but actually it is an enrichment for everyone.

That something arises from a queer movement and actually has a transformative power for everyone - that's almost my religion, I would say. As a rule, oppression is oppression on both sides, not in the sense of mutual oppression, but: Even an oppressing majority suffers from what it does.

Absolutely. And while I think it's great when it's accessible to everyone, I especially want to offer my work to those who aren't in such a privileged position. A discrimination-reflective attitude is extremely important to me. At the end of the day, my work is not paid for by any health insurance, so the question quickly arises: Who has the financial resources to afford a SexBod session? But also: How inclusive, how barrier-free do I design my work?

Intersectional body work, so to speak. But back to the training: Where did you do it then?

Via an Australian institute. First only online and then we met here in Berlin for ten days.

What, did they really all fly in here?

Yes, people from 15 countries came together. And to my astonishment, no major conflicts arose. Because everyone was able to stay with themselves, always looked at what is happening to my body, what do I need right now? I've never felt so alive in my life! I tasted differently, walked differently, my entire sensual experience was like I was in a state of intoxication. Selfcare, that sounds so easy. But it's a completely different thing when you're witnessed to it. Feeling accepted and seen naked without being immediately sexualized - that's so transformative on a collective level too. That is the great potential in my profession. Especially in areas that are associated with shame or transgenerational trauma. In the current pandemic, all the more important, but also all the more challenging: touch in times of insecurity.