A12: Talking About Sex and Sexuality

Zach Stones, Jordan Miller, Heather Marino Kibbee

Sex is fundamental to human existence. Since most of us wouldn’t exist without sex, it seems natural that sex is regularly on our minds. However, society sends us very mixed messages on this topic, including that sex is a shameful activity but also including a constant barrage of highly sexualized imagery and messages. The result is a highly confusing and often troubling conflagration of ideas that can cause lots of trouble in relationships, parenting and family life. This workshop will take on the task of sorting out what healthy sexuality really is and how service providers can help when sex is an issue. And if you work with anyone over 12, and sometimes younger, sex is an issue. Topics will include pornography, having “the talk,” marital tension, differences in sexual preference and more.