Surviving a 10-year sexless marriage in my 20s sent me on a mission to discover everything there is to know about intimacy, desire, arousal, and why no one could support me in tying it all together. My gynecologist could tell me about my hormones and physical health. My therapist could tell me about my emotional well being. But there was no one who could talk to me about how the dynamics of my marriage interconnected with my sexuality. I decided I wasn’t the only women who felt inexplicably shut down…there were many of us…and that needed to change. I was inspired to step up and fill that void.

Who inspired you when you first started on this journey?

I have always been an advocate for women’s rights. I stand on the shoulders of strong women in every sense. Amongst my early influences I cite artists and activists like Simone de Beauvoir, Gloria Steinem, Angela Davis, Marilyn French, Joni Mitchell, and Shirley Chisholm. From these early models of courage and truth-telling, I learned that sexuality is inseparable from identity, power, and liberation.

As I deepened my own studies, I was profoundly influenced by the work of pioneers in sexology and psychology—Alfred Kinsey, Masters and Johnson, Esther Perel, and Bessel van der Kolk—who helped me see the intersections of sexuality, trauma, and healing. At the same time, spiritual teachers such as Ram Dass, Thich Nhat Hanh, and my Tantric lineage in Sri Vidya opened the door to experiencing sex not just as behavior, but as sacred life force.

Together, these influences shaped the foundation of my work: an integrative approach that honors sexuality as both a political act and a spiritual practice, rooted in trauma-informed care, empathy, and deep reverence for the human experience.

What were three of your favorite books that helped you get clear on your path?

What are some ways you manage work life balance?

A constant struggle for me. I rely on my husband to reflect back to me when I need to take some down time away from my work. Dogs and kids do that too.

Where do you live now and is this your dream location and why?

I live at the beach in Los Angeles and while it was once my dream location, now that my kids are grown, I am looking towards the next chapter. I’ll keep you posted.

How have your travels impacted inspired your life and or work perspective?

Travel has been one of my greatest teachers. Being immersed in different cultures has shown me how ideas about sex, intimacy, and gender are both wildly diverse and strikingly similar across the globe. I’ve witnessed how social norms, religion, and history shape people’s relationship to their bodies, and I’ve also seen the common thread: a universal longing for connection, pleasure, and love.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Where did you spend most of your childhood?

What are you currently reading/watching/listening to?

What are your favorite three movies of all time and why?

1. Annie Hall—because it accurately reflected and articulated so much about being a young adult in New York.
2. Frida—because I am already passionate about both Frida Kahlo’s and Diego Rivera’s body of works, and add to that the stellar performances of Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina, and the beautiful treatment by Julie Taymor…well, chef’s kiss!
3. Like Water for Chocolate—the most romantic movie ever made.

What are your morning practices and routines that set you up to win every day?

Every morning I come into consciousness intentionally with a mindfulness meditation and sensual awareness practice. Coffee and walking the dogs is an extension of that practice. I need time and space every morning to marry my internal and external worlds. Until that happens, I am useless to anyone!

What are you passionate about that most people don’t know?

I could eat rice pudding until I explode.

what else would you like your readers and potential retreat participants to know about you?

What I want you to know is that all of you is welcome here. The messy parts, the shameful parts, the wild and unruly parts—nothing needs to be held back or contained. I meet people in the truth of who they are, not who they think they should be. Our wounds, our longings, our contradictions are not problems; they’re portals. If we’re willing to walk through them, they lead us somewhere real, raw, and holy. Take my hand—I’ll be right beside you. As Thich Nhat Hanh teaches, “no mud, no lotus”. It’s in the mud of our humanity that the lotus of our wildest expression blooms.