RECOVERING YOUR SEXUALITY
Recovering From Religion is pleased to offer this online class for adults looking to develop a healthy relationship with their own sexuality.
Many of us who grew up in conservative religious traditions reach adulthood with a lot of guilt, confusion, and just plain missing information about sexuality. As a result, we feel disconnected from our bodies, uncertain about what’s normal and healthy, and afraid to explore who we are and what we want sexually.
After years of being told that sex was wrong, dangerous, sinful, or only to be enjoyed in narrow circumstances, our goal is to empower you to move past those roadblocks to discover what truly works best for you! Each week we'll work together to uncover the false perceptions and learn what's normal and healthy.
This course is open to everyone, especially those who have been negatively affected by religious teachings in their past. It is uniquely designed to be a welcoming and supportive environment for everybody, regardless of their current relationship with religion and sexuality.
CLASS OUTLINE
Week 1: Body awareness, mindfulness, circles of sexuality
Week 2: Pleasure, guilt, sexual anatomy and physiology
Week 3: The sexual response cycle, varieties of sexual response, desire and drive
Week 4: Orgasm, masturbation, overcoming barriers to sexual enjoyment
Week 5: Fantasy, imagination, ethics, consent
Week 6: Celebrating yourself, connecting with other people sexually
Sex and God, by RR founder and President, Dr. Darrel Rayis the book that goes with this workshop. You’re encouraged to read it at your own pace; with each lesson, I’ll highlight chapters that are particularly relevant. You can skip around and read them when we get to them, or use your reading of the book to circle back to ideas we’ve discussed earlier in the workshop.
Even if you don’t finish reading the book by the time the workshop is over, having a resource to keep coming back to is very useful.
FORMAT
This course will be taught through a combination of video lecture, interactive chat, and individual exercises and reading to be done on your own time. Each Tuesday, I will share a video covering the main ideas we’ll be talking about, and a document suggesting exercises, reading, and things to think about.
The following Monday evening, we will have a group chat to talk about what your thoughts and experiences were. There will also be opportunities to check in throughout the week on our group board.
What if I can’t do the exercises/make the Monday night chat?
It’s ok! We’re all adults with busy lives, and no one is grading you here, work with the time you have. The group chat is an important part of the course, as it gives us an opportunity to interact and discuss in real time, but if you have to miss a week it’s not a big deal. If Monday nights in general aren’t good for you, don’t worry! We’ll be offering more sections of this class on different days and times soon. That said, most of the exercises I’ll be suggesting will take 10 minutes or less each day, so it shouldn't be a huge drain on your time.
Check back regularly for upcoming class dates and registration information.
About the Instructor
Virginia Brown holds an M.Ed in human sexuality. She grew up in a conservative Christian home, and became an atheist at the age of 25. Even after abandoning her conservative beliefs, it took her years to re-connect with her own sense of sexuality, and she is passionate about helping others who are walking the same road. She has taught courses about all aspects of sexuality to students from middle school to adulthood.