Faculty
Corinne Diachuk
Corinne Diachuk is a Certified Yoga Therapist, a Certified Somatic Sex Educator, and one of the founders of the ISSSE. For decades, she has worked intimately with humans in the realms of touch, care, embodiment, ritual, yoga, sex, and celebrating the beauty of each moment. She is the past president and ongoing treasurer for the SSEA. Corinne is passionate about SSE, consent, and pleasure. She teaches courageous communication and radical self-responsibility as tools for intimacy and sacred sexuality. You can find her online and in person, teaching a yoga class, hosting a consent workshop, or for private sessions. For more information see sacredcenteryoga.com
Dr. Liam “captain” Snowdon
dr. liam ‘captain’ snowdon lives uninvited on the territory of the Lekwungen and WSÁNEĆ peoples on Vancouver Island, in so called “canada”. Their background is in street outreach, harm reduction, social justice, sexualized and gender-based violence, counselling, somatic sex education and poetry with youth and adults. They have a doctorate in Human Sexuality.
They have been teaching Sexological Bodywork & Somatic Sex Education since 2010 first in the US and then in so called “canada”. They are currently studying death and end of life care with deep wonder about our queerness and eros and making home for them in our end of life care.
Their own journeys with learning disabilities, gender, queerness, causing harm and experiencing and privilege and oppression continue to deeply inform their ever changing practice. Captain is passionate about social justice, embodiment, joyful accountability, community care, elemental magic, co-facilating groups and the The Sea.
For more information see Captain Snowdon
Katie Spataro
Katie Spataro (she/her) is a somatic sex educator, holistic pelvic care provider and full spectrum doula residing on the unceded lands of the Duwamish people otherwise known as Seattle. Katie studies and practices at the intersections of birth work and sex work, drawing upon the embodied wisdom of these two lineages to support healing of the personal and collective cultural body. Katie blends various modalities of somatic practice, bodywork and skilled coaching in her private practice, and facilitates classes on sexual and reproductive wellness, embodied consent, grief and loss, pregnancy and birth, and erotic education through a trauma-informed and healing-centered lens. www.sacredwombservices.com
FOUNDING FACULTY, RETIRED
Caffyn Jesse
Caffyn Jesse is a leading somatic sex educator who lives and works on Salt Spring Island in Canada and a co-founder of the ISSSE. They are the author of Science for Sexual Happiness, Intimacy Educator: Teaching Through Touch, Orientation: Mapping Queer Meanings, Pelvic Pain Clinic with Shauna Farabaugh and Elements of Intimacy (available free online). Caffyn retired from teaching in 2021. See their website at www.erospirit.ca
ADJUNCT FACULTY
Shauna Farabaugh
Shauna Farabaugh is a Certified Somatic Sex Educator based in San Francisco, who fiercely believes in the right to sexual expression for every body and is committed to making sex education more “sexcessible”. She is particularly passionate about exploring the intersection between sexuality and life transitions of all kinds—both how life change impacts our sexual identity and expression and how we can connect with our sexuality in times of transition as a source of strength, resilience and wisdom to guide us through change. Shauna has been a professional sex educator since 2007, with certifications from San Francisco Sex Information, The Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, and the Somatic Sex Educators Association. Reverently irreverent, she brings a profound sense of play to both her group classes and one on one work with students of all genders, sexualities, and sexual lifestyles…because sex really is supposed to be fun! www.sexualityintransition.com
tracy montgomery
Tracy is a Certified Sexological Bodyworker, a Somatic Sex Educator and a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner. A lifelong teacher and learner who knows that life is supposed to feel good, Tracy believes that when we feel at home in our bodies we can come to know our divine, whole selves. Tracy works and plays on Algonquin Anishinabek land in so-called Ottawa, ON, working with individuals and couples and leading playful, experiential workshops that invite students into a more joyful life experience. She is the Past President of the Somatic Sex Educators Association. Her passions are dance, song, sex, coffee, books, hugs, community, quality pens and chocolate, not necessarily in that order. See her website at https://www.tracymontgomery.ca/
Kai Cheng Thom
Kai Cheng Thom, MSW, MSc, is a certified Somatic Sex Educator, Qualified Mediator, Clinical Hypnotherapist and Certified Professional Coach based in tkaronto/Toronto. She is also the author of five award-winning books in various genres. Kai Cheng’s work focuses on the intersection of social justice, pleasure activism, and transformative approaches to healing conflict. A noted speaker and practitioner of somatic wellness, healing, and group process facilitation, Kai Cheng supports individuals and groups who are seeking to repair relationships and make transformative change.
Visit her website at www.ariseembodiment.org
Noah Klöze
Noah Klöze is a certified somatic sex educator currently working online and in-person in ‘Victoria BC’. In their professional practice Noah prioritizes 1:1 work supporting folks recovering from sexual trauma connect with their bodies and pleasure. Noah also offers workshops and trainings for survivors and the professionals that support them. Further, Noah has co-founded a web design business with a fellow somatic sex educator – they focus on creating bold, unique, and playful sites for creative professionals and culture makers, plus offer brand identity development and copywriting support. When Noah’s not busy hustling for a brighter tomorrow, they’re probably rolling in the garden, eating too much dark chocolate, or swinging kettlebells. Noah uses he/him or they/them pronouns. You can learn more about what Noah’s up to at www.noahkloze.com and www.alternativeedge.ca
Sherika Tenaya
Sherika Tenaya is a Certified Somatic Sex Educator & Sexological Bodyworker, a 500 hour Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 500), an Ordained Minister with the Universal Life Church, and Somatic Breathwork Facilitator. She is also a proud member of the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, Ahwahneechee Grizzly Clan. She is passionate about helping people reconnect to the most honest versions of themselves by bringing their conditioned beliefs and reactionary ways of being into the light of consciousness. Having been raised in a deeply oppressive religious environment, she seeks to remind each of her students that *they* are the source of their own power and inner authority, connected to a deep well of their own inner knowing. Using disciplines centered around embodiment, religious deconstruction work, consent, joyful fitness, meditation and earth-based spirituality, she helps people awaken to their truth, discern illusion from reality, remember their tribe, and come home to their bodies. She makes space in community for her students to heal at their deepest levels, holding their vulnerability with integrity and reverence. Learn more about her and her work at www.savorsoma.com
Onika Henry
Onika Henry is a Widener University trained sexologist (M.Ed.) who has a B.A. in Theatre Arts, with a minor in Psychology. She is also a Certified Sex Coach (CSC from Dr. Patti Britton’s Sex Coach U) and a Sex and Faith Trainer (Incarnation Institute for Sex & Faith). She uses this combination of specialties for the benefit of her clients who need to talk about sex and sex-related issues, in an environment that is healthy, fun, productive and most of all, safe and non-judgemental. Onika lives on the island of Tobago in the Caribbean where music and dancing are part of her daily life. See Onika’s website: https://onikahenry.com/
ADMIN TEAM
Taara Rose
Meet Taara! A somatic sex educator, sexolgical bodyworker and podcaster. Taara is on a mission to help people discover their authentic sexual selves. With a passion for supporting individuals to embody consent and boundaries in their bodies, Taara provides non-judgmental sexual education to all who seek it. Since 2014, Taara has been working as a non-monogamous educator and podcaster with her partner. In April 2021, she decided to take her knowledge to the next level and enrolled with The Institute for the Study of Somatic Sex Education and is now a recent graduate. She is also a certified “Like a Pro” with the School of Consent and is passionate about empowering choice and voice. She works with clients in person and virtually, and often hosts events and workshops for groups. When she’s not educating others, Taara can be found spending time with her furry friends, experiencing the pleasure of nature, and always learning more about sex, sexuality, and relationships.
BIPOC FACULTY LIAISON & ADJUNCT FACULTY
Dame Sadie
Dame Sadie (they/she) is a dynamic force in sexuality, healing, and education, embodying Black, polyamorous, and queer identities. With over 20 years of experience in the erotic arts, Dame Sadie is an artist, educator, coach, and community healer. Certified as a Mindfulness and Meditation teacher, Reiki II Practitioner, Crystal Healer, Master Life Coach, and Somatic Sex Educator, they passionately advocate for the healing power of pleasure. Through inclusive and justice-centered practices, Dame Sadie fosters spaces where individuals can explore their authentic selves and challenge systems of oppression, while striving to create a world where all beings can thrive authentically. See Dame Sadie’s website: https://damesadie.com