Talking sexual trauma and sexual healing: Violet Blue interviews Staci Haines

This week in her Open Source Sex column in SFGate Violet Blue interviews Staci Haines, the author of Healing Sex: A Mind-Body Approach to Healing Sexual Trauma. From Violet’s column:

"Traditionally, when it comes to sex-positive education and the work to end sexual abuse, I've seen an unfortunate split in ideology — as with abuse itself, which tends to split individuals and families from the inside. All too often, I've observed the sex-positive movement not wanting to engage with the misuse of sex and violence or coercion, and instead concentrating on pleasure, desire, education and sexual empowerment…On the other hand, the sexual assault survival movement has historically either ignored sexual pleasure or even adult sexuality, or focused exclusively on the abuses. It's tough to acknowledge both these two things — sexual trauma and a joyful sex life — without triggering accusations or hysteria, even knowing that sex-positivity and healing from assault are not mutually exclusive."

Staci Haines is a therapist and many years ago was a manager at Good Vibrations, and she speaks and writes with intense passion and compassion about a topic most of us work hard to deny or ignore; the connection between healthy sexuality and healing from sexual trauma. Staci’s book is one I would recommend to anyone, and Violet’s interview is a wonderful introduction to Staci’s work.

Read more - Open Source Sex: From sexual trauma to healing sex