KPACT Kink & Polyam Aware Chicago Therapists
Awareness, Professionalism, Advocacy, Compassion, Training.
Articles and news related to workshops, events and topics of interest to the kink and polyamory communities.
You Asked, We Answered For years, KPACT therapists have used the private Google group to find referrals to other kink- and polyamory-affirming mental health practitioners but also when looking for informed and aware doctors, lawyers, massage therapists, physical therapists and others who are kink- and polyamory-affirming. KPACT therapists have wanted a professional directory where they […]
In our October education event, Rachel Yukimura will be providing an introduction to Surrogate Partner Therapy (SPT). We spoke with Rachel about her career path and how she came to be a Surrogate Partner Therapist. She shared about her background and what she feels is important to communicate to mental health professionals about SPT. Speaker […]
In our July 2023 workshop, “In Decolonizing Kink,” Adria Kurchina-Tyson discusses the structural, colonial nature of compulsory vanilla relationships/sexuality and demonstrate the “coloniality” of kink-phobia, reviewing the fundamental differences between Indigenous frameworks of desire/relation and those of the settler state. Adria shared some additional thoughts with us for this interview. Speaking with Adria Kurchina-Tyson How did you […]
There are reasons for using labels. They can be very useful, in an elemental way. To label something is to identify it and categorize it, which makes it easier to talk about, and therefore easier to share. Labels can promote intimacy and community, and when more and more people agree on the usefulness of a label then it gains more power. For instance, I am a person (and not— to my great regret— a golden retriever puppy), but there are a lot of labels I use to guide people’s attention to the parts of me that I want to represent, discuss, and work on.
Content warning: this piece includes the mention of violence, sexual assault, and police misconduct. Until recently, there was no legal definition of affirmative consent for adults who use force or restraint during erotic power exchange and roleplay. Instead, U.S. case law has found, based on moral objections, that consent is not a defense to assault—even […]
KPACT is excited to host psychotherapist Stephen Ratcliff and dominatrix Eve Minax on April 14, 2023 for “Getting Your Kinks In: Neurodiversity and BDSM.” We asked Eve and Stephen to tell us a bit about their interest and experience with the topic. Want to learn more from these knowledgeable practitioners? Join us on Zoom on […]
Alexandra GoldOct 11, 2020 Reflecting on the Whiteness of BDSM In a 2020 academic study, the “Overwhelming Whiteness of BDSM: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Racialization in BDSM”, Kat Martinez, Associate Professor at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, explores “the relationship between what researchers have described as inclusive BDSM communities that continue to naturalize […]
Kevin A. Patterson, M.ED.February 22, 2017 It started when I brought my girlfriend and her friend to this West Indian festival in Toronto. I made some jokes about young sexually active people partying and drinking, but I didn’t think it meant anything. It ended up meaning everything. Next thing you know, the three of us are rolling around together back […]
Our May KPACT presenter, carrie sarah kaufman, shared with us a poem she wrote on the intersection of kink, healing and disability. Ihave been so conditioned to give care if i want to receive it. Tobetray myself to meet my needs.Disabled,i have heardIam a burden in every relationship. WheelchairMommy with chronic pain Iknow the power in my vulnerabilityIknow the wisdom […]
It has been almost 6 months since the shelter in place orders in Illinois were announced. Most therapists I know went remote in March. Therapy offices around the city sit unused. I don’t know many therapists who are planning to return to their face-to-face practices anytime soon. The spring challenged all of us to adjust […]
Hope you are all well and staying as safe as we each can be in these challenging days. As I have been working from home, I am aware of needing to adjust and tweak my ad hoc home office set up day by day. So, I wanted to mention a few things you might consider […]
Richard Sprott discusses the Kink Practice Guidelines Project and shares his best clinical practices. by Richard Sprott, Ph.D.For many years, therapists and counselors who worked closely with the BDSM/kink communities—on the front lines of helping people who are kink-identified or practicing BDSM—have often served in relative isolation. They have honed their clinical judgments and approaches, figuring […]
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