SESSIONS LIVE 2019
Presenter Bios, Booklists, and Workshops
Meet the Sessions Live 2019 Speakers
Click a tile below to access speaker resources and bios.
Esther Perel
Host and Founder of Sessions
Resources
Stay In Touch
- Instagram: @estherperelofficial
- Facebook: @esther.perel
- YouTube: Esther Perel
- LinkedIn: @estherperel
- www.estherperel.com
Books
Bio
Renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel is the New York Times bestselling author of The State of Affairs and Mating in Captivity. Her celebrated TED Talks have garnered more than 28 million views and she is also the host of the award-winning podcast Where Should We Begin? Her new podcast, How's Work? launches in the Fall of 2019.
Paul Browde
Warm-Up Facilitator
Resources
Stay In Touch
- Instagram: @pbrowde
- www.paulbrowde.com
- www.evryman.com
Bio
Paul Browde is a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City, where he works using narrative approaches to treat individuals and couples, and as an Encounter Centered Trainer, guiding couples in the art of communication.
He is a member of the teaching faculty in the Department of Narrative Medicine at Columbia University. Paul is co-founder of Narativ Inc. a personal storytelling company.
He is a professional advisor for EVRYMAN.
Rafaella Fiallo
"Less Oppression, More Orgasms"
Resources
Stay In Touch
- Instagram: @afrosexology_
- Facebook: Afrosexology
- Twitter: @Afrosexology
- www.afrosexology.com
Products
Upcoming Projects
- Intercourse Video Series - features open, intimate conversations with Black identified people as they reflect on their sexual experiences, journey, and goals.
Bio
Rafaella Fiallo
Rafaella Fiallo (she/her) is in practice in St. Louis, Missouri as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Sexuality Educator specializing in supporting healing after sexual violence, building self-esteem and confidence, and teaching healthy communication and sexuality to individuals and couples. She is a cofounder of Afrosexology, which creates educational content and workshops that centers the pleasure and liberation of Black people.
Aviva Gitlin Psy.D
A Contributor to "Finding the Erotic Self: A Journey for Practitioners"
Resources
Stay In Touch
Bio
Following her lifelong fascination with the unconscious mind, Dr. Aviva Gitlin (PsyD), born in South Africa, has studied psychology in three countries -South Africa (BA), Israel (MA) and the USA (PsyD). She then graduated psychoanalytic training from The Westchester Center for the Study of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (WCSPP). Aviva is currently a practicing psychologist in private practice in White Plains , NY specializing in Couples Therapy. She is a member of the teaching faculty at WCSPP where she teaches a class on dreams and a seminar on sexuality.
Ian Kerner, Ph.D., LMFT
"Emboldening the Erotic Imagination"
Resources
Stay In Touch
Books
- She Comes First: The Thinking Man's Guide to Pleasuring a Woman
- He Comes Next: The Thinking Woman's Guide to Pleasuring a Man
Upcoming Projects
- New book out in 2021.
- Speaker at Psychotherapy Networker, March 2020.
- Speaker at the Ackerman Institute, April 2020.
Bio
Ian Kerner, PhD, LMFT is a licensed psychotherapist and nationally recognized sex therapist. Ian writes regularly on the topic of sex for CNN and he is the NY Times best-selling author of She Comes First, which has been translated into over 15 languages. Recent media pieces include the NY Times, NPR and The Atlantic amongst others, and recent speaking engagements include the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium and the Ackerman Institute. In addition to maintaining a private practice in NYC, Ian teaches and supervises other therapists at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy. His new book will be published by Grand Central Publishing in 2021.
Sara Nasserzadeh, PhD DipPST CSC
"Sexual Attitude Reassessment - A Taster"
Resources
Stay In Touch
- Instagram: @dr.saranasserzadeh
- Facebook: @dr.saranasserzadeh
- Twitter: @dr_sara_
- www.sara-nasserzadeh.com
- New practice location in Beverly Hills, LA accepts clients with the focus on dating, coupledom and specific sexual concerns
Trainings + Offers
More info available at https://www.sara-nasserzadeh.com/
- Holistic Assessment and Therapies Model (H.A.T.): a systematic and evidence-informed training in couples counseling and psychosexual therapy (meets requirements for AASECT certification and offers APA and BBS CEs).
- Relationship Panoramic Questionnaire, a validated inventory for couples and individuals who wish to form coupledom (inclusive of variety of sexual and relationship orientations).
Upcoming Projects
- Two day Sexual Attitude Reassessment (SAR) experience. May 1-2, 2020 in Southern California. Spots are limited. Registration at https://www.sara-nasserzadeh.com
Bio
Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh, award winning author, award winning creator and host of the first BBC World Service TV program on sexuality in the Middle East called Whispers.
She is an accredited couples therapist and psychosexual Therapist by the college of sex and relationship therapists (COSRT). Approved training provider and certified sexuality counselor by AASECT and Advisory board member of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS). She has worked across 38 countries and is based in LA California.
Holly Richmond
"Eros Resurrected"
Resources
Stay In Touch
- Instagram: @drhollyrichmond
- Facebook: @drhollyrichmond
- Twitter: @drhollyrichmond
- www.drhollyrichmond.com
Projects
- "The Pleasure is Mine" Docuseries - Holly is the Sexual Health Advisor to K-Y brand and recently worked on this docuseries about women's sexual empowerment through all life stages.
Bio
Dr. Holly Richmond is a Somatic Psychologist, Certified Sex Therapist (CST), and Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) with offices in New Jersey, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon. This unique combination of credentials enables her to focus on clients’ cognitive processes as well as mind-body health. She works with women, men, couples and gender-diverse individuals on relationship and sexuality issues, offering sex therapy and sexual health coaching nationally and internationally. Her treatment specialties include low libido, sexual dysfunction, compulsive sexuality (often called “addiction”), desire discrepancies in couples, recovery from sexual assault and abuse, and alternative/non-traditional sexual expression. Her dissertation The Recovery of Sexual Health after Sexual Assault, is an innovative look at both somatic and psychological factors in survivors’ recovery.
Dr. Holly is regularly quoted in publications and media outlets including The New York Times, CNN, Shape, NBC, Wired, Forbes, Health, Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health. She is a sought-after consultant in the sextech industry and is seen as a pioneer in the clinical exploration of sex and technology, and how they work together as human sexuality evolves in the 21st century. Each interlinked facet of her work is grounded in a sex-positive perspective: all sex is good sex as long as it is consensual and pleasurable. This non-judgmental position allows her to assist clients in discovering their true needs, desires and personal path to sexual and relational wellness.
Amber Ryan
Warm-Up Facilitator
Resources
Stay In Touch
- Instagram: @the360.amberryan
- Facebook: @the360amberryan
- www.The360Emergence.com
Playlist
- Music to move and journey with: soundcloud.com/The360AmberRyan
Upcoming Workshops
- Schedule of retreats, immersions, workshops and classes around the globe.
Bio
Amber Ryan is an international movement-meditation teacher who facilitates meaningful connection and radical change through the gateway of the body. With roots in dance, theatre and freeing the natural voice, Amber offers crystalline delivery of instruction mixed with evocative music to quiet the mind, excite self-expression and invite aliveness so body wisdom and emotional intelligence can speak. She believes the fastest way to connect us to our innate truth and wholeness is to quiet down, move the body and listen.
Amber is the co-founder of The 360 Emergence along with Kate Shela. She taught the 5Rhythms® for 10 years, has led at Omega Institute, Eileen Fisher Learning Lab, Wanderlust Festival, Lead with Love Conscious Business Summit and many more.
Dalychia Saah
"Less Oppression, More Orgasms"
Resources
Stay In Touch
- Instagram: @afrosexology_
- Facebook: Afrosexology
- Twitter: @Afrosexology
- www.afrosexology.com
Products
Upcoming Projects
- Intercourse Video Series - features open, intimate conversations with Black identified people as they reflect on their sexual experiences, journey, and goals.
Bio
Dalychia Saah
Dalychia Saah (she/her) is an educator, writer, and the co-founder of Afrosexology. Through Afrosexology, Dalychia has created space for thousands of people of color to reclaim their sexuality. Dalychia believes that systematic forms of oppression can be overthrown by a reclamation of intra- and interpersonal power. She is a lecturer at the Brown School of Social Work, where she teaches courses in social theory, social justice, and sexuality education. Dalychia’s work and words have been featured in HuffPost, Vibe Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Playboy, Broadly, and others.
Don Shewey
"Healing Through Pleasure"
Resources
Stay In Touch
- Instagram: @donsheweynyc
- Blog: www.joy-body.com
- www.bodyandsoulwork.com
Books
Bio
Don Shewey is a writer, therapist, and pleasure activist in New York City. As a journalist and critic, he has published three books about theater and written hundreds of articles for the New York Times, the Village Voice, Esquire, Rolling Stone, and other publications. He has chronicled his psycho-sexual-spiritual adventures in essays that have been included in numerous anthologies, including The Politics of Manhood and Men Like Us: the GMHC Guide to Gay Men’s Sexual, Physical, and Emotional Well-Being. His most recent book is The Paradox of Porn: Notes on Gay Male Sexual Culture. An archive of his writing is available online at donshewey.com. His psychotherapy practice (bodyandsoulwork.com) specializes in sex and intimacy coaching, about which he has also taught numerous workshops since 2006.
Alexandra Solomon
A Response to "Finding the Erotic Self: A Journey for Practitioners"
Resources
Stay In Touch
- Instagram: @dr.alexandra.solomon
- Facebook: @dralexandrasolomon
- Twitter: @AHSolomon
- www.dralexandrasolomon.com
Books
- Loving Bravely: Twenty Lessons of Self-Discovery to Help You Get the Love You Want
- Pre-Order Taking Sexy Back: How to Own Your Sexuality and Create the Relationships You Want
- Get a sneak-peak at the first chapter + 50 Question To Deepen Relational Self-Awareness. Click Here.
Bio
Dr. Alexandra H. Solomon is passionate about helping people show up for their intimate relationships with compassion, integrity, and awareness. Dr. Solomon is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, adjunct faculty in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University, and a licensed clinical psychologist at The Family Institute at Northwestern University. She writes articles and chapters for leading academic journals and books in the field of marriage and family. She also writes a column for Psychology Today and is the author of two books—Loving Bravely: Twenty Lessons of Self-Discovery to Help You Get the Love You Want (New Harbinger, 2017) and Taking Sexy Back: How to Own Your Sexuality and Create the Relationships You Want (New Harbinger, 2020). Dr. Solomon maintains a psychotherapy practice for individual adults and couples, teaches and trains marriage and family therapy graduate students, and teaches the internationally renowned undergraduate course, “Building Loving and Lasting Relationships: Marriage 101.” Dr. Solomon is a highly sought-after speaker who works with groups like United States Military Academy at West Point, Microsoft, and The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. She is frequently asked to talk about love, sex, and marriage with media outlets like The Today Show, O Magazine, The Atlantic, Vogue, and Scientific American. Dr. Solomon lives in a suburb of Chicago with her husband and their two teenagers.
Guy Winch
"Fixing a Broken Heart"
Resources
Stay In Touch
- Instagram: @guywinch
- Facebook: @guywinchauthor
- Twitter: @guywinch
- LinkedIn: @guywinch
- www.guywinch.com
Books
- How to Fix a Broken Heart (TED Books)
- The Squeaky Wheel: Complaining the Right Way to Get Results, Improve Your Relationships, and Enhance Self-Esteem
- Emotional First Aid: Healing Rejection, Guilt, Failure, and Other Everyday Hurts
Upcoming projects
- "Dear Guy" a new advice column for TED.com
- A new podcast with Lori Gottlieb late 2019/early 2020.
Bio
Guy Winch, Ph.D., is a leading advocate for integrating the science of emotional health into our daily lives, workplaces, and education systems. His viral TED Talks 'Why We All Need to Practice Emotional First Aid' and 'How to Fix a Broken Heart' have been viewed over 18 million times and his self-help books have been translated into 26 languages. He has just been named TED's first paid columnist where he will be launching a science-based advice column titled 'Dear Guy'. He received his doctorate in clinical psychology from New York University, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at NYU Medical Center and he has been working with individuals and couples in his private practice in Manhattan for over twenty years. He is a member of the American Psychological Association.
