Dr. Lee interviews Becca Wight, a disability activist in the UK. Becca shares with Dr. Lee her own personal struggles and journey with chronic illness and pain. Becca’s diagnosis led her to become a disability activist where she is committed to helping others and being a voice for people with disabilities. Dr. Lee and Becca discuss the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ disabled individuals and how critical it is to approach activism through an intersectionality lens.

 Becca Wight is a disability activist committed to creating a safe space filled with positivity, education and open conversations on her Instagram Becca_wight. Becca’s activism originated from a young age, since being diagnosed with HSD in 2012 at the age of 11/12. She’s always been passionate about making sure that disabled voices are heard. With over 10 years of doctors’ appointments, internalized and external experiences of ableism, and 4 more diagnoses’ and misdiagnoses’, she’s always been passionate about sharing her own experience to lessen the stigma surrounding disabled people. From championing inclusion within the University of Sheffield, accessibility in theatre, and launching campaigns such as the ‘Keeping Calm Together’ and ‘Making the Invisible Visible’ campaigns in lockdown. She shares disability and mental health-focused content on her Instagram, aiming to provide a safe space for disabled people, boosting disabled people’s self-worth and highlighting the injustices they often face. With a particular focus on challenging ableism which infiltrates our society, her work has been featured in Forbes and shared and viewed by over 300,000 people across the world. She’s also raised disabled voices through the publication of Homecoming Zine, a book that includes artwork, poetry, and prose from several disabled artists on their experience in the pandemic.  

 Becca’s Contact Info:

Email: rebeccawight@icloud.com

Social Media: Instagram, Twitter

Social Media Links: Instagram: @drleephillips Facebook: @drleephillips Twitter: @Lee59085544

Dr. Lee is excited about having Katherine Zitterbart aka KayteeZee back on Sex and Chronic Illness. KayteeZee was on the show last season where she discussed her non-dual approach to BDSM and how BDSM has helped her in managing her chronic pain/ illness. But this time, Dr. Lee and KayteeZee dive into her personal journey of being queer with cancer. Katherine Zitterbart is a yoga teacher and somatics facilitator with more than 20 years of experience. She specializes in working with diverse populations and those with chronic health issues or neurodivergence. Katherine believes that everyone is inherently worthy and deserving, and she centers compassion, communication, and consent in her work. Over the years, she has helped many people transform their lives through yoga and sexuality education, teaching them the tools they need to heal and thrive.

If you are looking for a yoga teacher who can truly meet you where you are, look no further than Katherine Zitterbart. Dr. Lee and KayteeZee discuss the meaning of queer theory and how the meaning has changed over the years. KayteeZee shares how depression, anxiety, stress, and stigma experienced by the LGBTQIA+ community are interconnected with cancer treatment.

Contact Information:

YouTube: Kayteezee

Facebook: A Cup of Tea with Kayteezee

Email: hello@kayteezee.com

Social Media Links: Instagram: @drleephillips Facebook: @drleephillips Twitter: @Lee59085544

Dr. Lee interviews surrogate partners Brian Gibney and Michelle Renee on the art of Surrogate Partner Therapy. Brian and Michelle Renee share with Dr. Lee how Surrogate Partner Therapy is an effective treatment for obstacles with emotional and physical intimacy, and they explain how it is legal. Brian and Michelle Renee discuss how they glide clients through the resolution of a variety of issues, including histories of trauma or abuse, social anxiety, poor body image, sensual awareness, orgasmic blocks, genital pain, disability, rediscovery of their bodies during/after transition, and late-life virginity in a safe, non-judgmental environment. They also discuss the rewarding and challenging aspects of their work. Dr. Lee and Michelle Renee share their personal experience working together using Sex Therapy and Surrogate Partner Therapy.

Brian has worn many hats in his life: scientific researcher, educator, professional artist, and circus performer. His diverse life experiences have exposed him to a wide variety of people and lifestyles and helped him appreciate the common threads that bind us all together. As a surrogate partner and intimacy coach, Brian seeks to use his knowledge to help people overcome obstacles to physical and emotional intimacy. Applying techniques pioneered by Masters and Johnson, he uses an integrative approach to help others find balance in their intellectual, emotional, and physical selves. With the help of a therapist, His practice is rooted in patience, authenticity, vulnerability, touch…and sometimes a little bit of humor. Brian received his BA in Molecular Biology from Kenyon College in 1999 and his master’s in microbiology from the University of Massachusetts in 2006. He received his training in surrogate partner therapy from IPSA (International Professional Surrogates Association) in 2016. Brian is co-founder of the Surrogate Partner Collective and is currently serving as chair of AASECT’s Somatic Sexuality Professionals special interest group. In addition to working with clients, Brian is a passionate advocate for surrogate partner therapy and regularly lectures at private practices, universities, workshops, and professional conferences.

Michelle Renee (she/her), based in both Baltimore, Maryland and San Diego, California, offers human connection and intimacy coaching ranging from platonic nurturing touch to surrogate partner therapy. Through her training with Cuddlist and Cuddle Party, Michelle gained a wealth of consent, communication, and boundary education and experience. In 2018 she expanded her offerings to include surrogate partner therapy, training with Integrative Mind Body Therapies (IMBT). Michelle is a supporting member of AASECT and a co-founder of Embrace, a professional resource group for surrogate partners and collaborating clinicians.

Brian’s Contact Info: https://www.bgsurrogatetherapy.com bgsurrogatetherapy@gmail.com

Michelle’s Contact Info:

Website: https://meetmichellerenee.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meetmichellerenee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meetmichellerenee/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/cuddlemichelle

Dr. Lee interviews Gigi Robinson, a GenZ thought leader and mental health advocate. Gigi is a thought leader in the creator economy, explicitly focusing on authentic partnerships. She is known for her podcast on Spotify called, Everything You Need Is Within and she has been featured in 60 plus podcasts.

Gigi is pursuing a Master of Science degree in innovation, design, business, and technology from the University of Southern California. She has created content for many companies including Spotify, Best Buy, and Instagram. In addition, she is a guest speaker at universities including USC, UCLA, and many more. Gigi has been on speaking panels for Yahoo, Meta, Reuters Pharma, and USC.

Gigi shares with Dr. Lee how her Ehlers Danlos Syndrome journey allowed her to be a voice and advocate for others. Gigi discusses her challenges with the medical community and offers tips when dating with a chronic illness.

Links

Podcast: Everything You Need is Within with Gigi Robinson

Gigi’s Social Media Links: Instagram: @itsGigiRobinson TikTok: @itsGigiRobinson Facebook: @itsGigiRobinson Twitter: @itsGigiRobinson

Dr. Lee’s Social Media Links: Instagram: @drleephillips Facebook: @drleephillips Twitter: @Lee59085544

Sex and Chronic Illness is back for Season 2!

Tune in for shame-free conversations about chronic illness, disability, and intimacy. Through discussions with educators, couples, and experts, Dr. Lee explores strategies for overcoming the sexual challenges caused by illness and disability.

Links:

Dr. Lee’s website

Instagram: @drleephillips

Facebook: @drleephillips

Twitter: @Lee59085544

Dr. Lee interviews Rachael Rose (she/her), a chronically disabled, bisexual, neurodivergent, and polyamorous Certified Sex & Relationship Coach and Educator. Her work focuses on an inclusive, sex-positive, and pleasure-focused approach to sex education and sexual health for all, and she specializes in the ways chronic illness, disabilities, and ADHD impact sex and relationships.

She’s presented about sexuality topics both in the US and internationally and she has been featured in media such as Teen Vogue, Bustle, and Sexual Health Magazine. Rachael is also the creator of the award-winning sexuality blog Hendonish.com and is the co-founder of Glittergasm Events, an event company that hosts inclusive and accessible sex-positive play parties for the LGBTQ+ community.

Rachael is also an advocate for disability rights and accessibility, and her work on fragrance accessibility has been featured in UCLA’s Accessible spaces Toolkit. She’s volunteered her time to help multiple conferences and events create and fine-tune their accessibility policies to be more inclusive of the 30% of the population who live with fragrance sensitivities.

Dr. Lee and Rachael dive into an overview of what Indolent Systemic Mastocytosis is and how there is a lot of emotional labor that comes from educating people about disabilities, including the advocacy for accessibility. Rachael shares her experience on how she became a sex and relationship coach. Dr. Lee and Rachael also discuss how being disabled has affected her approach sexually- emotionally, physically, and mentally. Rachael shares with the audience her approach to advocating for sexual health with new doctors.

Contact information:

Website: www.hedonish.com

Rachael’s Social Media Links: Instagram: @hedonish Facebook: @hedonish Twitter: @hedonish

Dr. Lee’s Social Media Links: Instagram: @drleephillips Facebook: @drleephillips Twitter: @Lee59085544

Dr. Lee interviews Bianca I. Laureano, an award-winning educator and sexologist. She is a founding member of the Women of Color Sexual Health Network (WOCSHN) and her most recent project is ANTE UP! a virtual freedom school offering professional development and certification. She has written several curricula and is the lead writer for the Netflix film Crip Camp’s curriculum rooted in Disability Justice principles. She is an AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator and Supervisor, and in May 2020 was awarded an honorary doctorate from the California Institute Studies for her work in expanding the US sexuality field. Dr. Lee and Bianca discuss the importance of disability justice, noting that it is a framework needed in moving away from the medical model and how it is rooted in the individual experience. Bianca shares the unique knowledge that disabled people have that non-disabled people can learn and ways to incorporate disability justice in our lives daily. Dr. Lee and Bianca also discuss the value of community and self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Contact Information:

Ante Up! - Professional Development for Justice Workers: www.AnteUpPD.com

Bianca Laureano Website: www.biancalaureano.com/

Bianca’s Social Media Links: Instagram: @latinegrasexologist Facebook: @BiancaLaureano Twitter: @LatinoSexuality

Social Media Links: Instagram: @drleephillips Facebook: @drleephillips Twitter: @Lee59085544

Dr. Lee interviews Gina Sangster on the topic of shame and sexuality concerning chronic illness and pain. Gina is a DC native who holds an MFA from Columbia University and an MSW from Catholic University. She has also received additional training through the Mid-Atlantic Group Psychotherapy Society and the Washington School of Psychiatry. She is a published author of poetry and personal essays and works as a psychotherapist and supervisor with the Capitol Hill Consortium for Counseling and Consultation. Gina enjoys individual, couples, and group therapy as well as providing individual and group supervision and consultation. Gina likes to approach therapy as an engaging and interactive dialogue using a combination of psychodynamic, family systems, and solution-focused techniques. Gina discusses her personal journey with being diagnosed with scoliosis (curvature of the spine) at the age of 11 and the shame she experienced while growing up with the condition. Dr. Lee and Gina dive deep into how childhood, familial, and cultural messages can leave an indelible imprint and have an impact throughout our lives. Gina shares with the listeners some of the formative experiences she had in terms of body image, physical well-being that she is still aware of today. Dr. Lee and Gina share some of the issues they tend to see among clients in terms of coping with illness, physical limitations, and body image issues of concern.

Contact Information:

CapitolHill Consortium for Counseling & Counsultation LLC: www.ccccmentalhealth.com

Gina’s profile on Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/gina-sangster-washington-dc/120136

Social Media Links: Instagram: @drleephillips Facebook: @drleephillips Twitter: @Lee59085544

Dr. Lee interviews Katherine Zitterbart, aka KayteeZee on her non-dual approach to BDSM and how BDSM has helped in managing her chronic pain/ illness. Kaytee is a no-touch facilitator of practices that helps to cultivate compassion, personal power, and balanced relationships. She is sex-positive, which means she believes that all expressions of human sexuality that do not harm the people involved and occur in a context of consent are valid and worthy. For over 25 years, she has guided somatic practices, such as yoga and emotional alchemy, which help folks feel better in their bodies. As a designer of workshops and immersions, Kaytee draws on decades of experience and training in myriad communication skills. Some of the areas in which Kaytee has expertise are yoga/somatics, BDSM, consensual non-monogamy, living with chronic pain and illness, power exchange, body acceptance/positivity, and creating non-ordinary states on consciousness without substances. She shares with Dr. Lee her personal journey with breast cancer and how she has not LOST her sexuality, it has simply changed and the lesson that cancer currently shows her.

Contact Information:

YouTube: Kayteezee

Facebook: A Cup of Tea with Kayteezee

Email: hello@kayteezee.com

Social Media links: Instagram: @drleephillips Facebook: @drleephillips Twitter: @Lee59085544

Dr. Lee interviews Erika Miley on the power of acceptance. Erika is mental and sexual health therapist, podcaster, PhD candidate and your resident sex nerd. She wants to challenge the shame monster in your head. Dr. Lee and Erika discuss the process of acceptance of chronic illness and pain and how changing our flexibility in our thinking can improve our experiences in sex and the rest of our lives. Dr. Lee and Erika have a candid conversation on how people who deal with a chronic illness begin the acceptance process and how acceptance impacts sex.  Erika shares her personal acceptance journey of having a heart condition, in addition to dealing with chronic pain due to being athlete.

Contact Information:

 www.sextalkwitherika.com

www.mentalandsexualhealth.com

Instagram: @erikamileytherapy

Twitter: @MrsErikaMiley

TikTok: @sextalkwitherika

FB group for helpers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sextalkprogroup

Social Media links: Instagram: @drleephillips Facebook: @drleephillips Twitter: @Lee59085544