It’s International Women’s Day on 8 March, and what better way to celebrate than by claiming your right to pleasure and joy, in a workshop that will leave you feeling empowered and supported by other women. This fun and engaging workshop will help to shed some of the shame and embarrassment that can hinder us in identifying our needs and asking for what we want.

We will explore, in a small group, our relationships with our bodies, the messages we have been absorbing through our lives about how women* and girls are ‘supposed’ to be and to get in touch with what we actually want in our sexual lives.

It will be a chance to discuss the changes that we go through in our life course, to learn more about desire, arousal, pleasure and sex and to build some confidence in asking for what we want.

Places are limited, to ensure a safe environment for discussion.

The workshop cost is £85, which includes all refreshments, and a nourishing and delicious lunch.

*due to the nature of the workshop and the issues we will be discussing, this is aimed at women and non-binary folk who were assigned female at birth. Please contact me if you are not in these groups and are interested in a workshop as I am developing new courses and workshops for the new year.

Further information

What will I learn?

You will learn about the different types of desire, how they link with arousal and with being able to have pleasurable sexual experiences, either solo, or with a partner.

We will unpick some of the messages we have absorbed from growing up in a society that deprioritises women’s agency and pleasure and find ways of letting go of the shame and stigma that can hold us back.

What will I get out of it?

You will leave with some practical tips to help have difficult conversations with intimate partners, as well as some steps you can take to rediscover some of the pleasure that you may have experienced at different stages of your life and which you feel has been lost.

You will also leave with some recommendations of books, podcasts, websites and more to help you continue this learning and discovery. You will also leave with some advice about safer sex practices, as well as (if you want it) about sex toys and lubricants.

What difference will it make?

You will feel supported, safe, more confident and more able to claim your entitlement to pleasure. You will also feel a little (or a lot) more free of the burden of shame and stigma that can impact on our self-esteem and the way we relate to ourselves as sexual beings. You will also hopefully leave with a bit of a spring in your step, feeling a bit light-hearted and with a twinkle in your eye!

This will be a fun and engaging session, delivered with warmth, humour and compassion. You won’t be expected to share any personal stories and we won’t be examining our vulvas in a hand mirror!

Harriet Yudkin is an experienced trainer and facilitator, specialising in sex and relationships, sexuality and sexual health. She has over 23 years of experience in this field and is skilled at creating safe, supportive environments to talk about these topics, helping to free people of embarrassment, shame and stigma.