Researcher Seeks Participants for Study of Married Couples

Participants needed for Qualitative Study

Vanilla and Kink: Married Couples in Which One Partner Identifies as a Part of the BDSM Culture and the Other Partner Does Not.

Looking for a legally married couple:

  • At least 18 years of age
  • Married for at least 1 year (including open-marriage and other variations)
  • Male and female partnered marriage
  • Speak and write English language fluently
  • One partner self-identifying as a part of the BDSM culture/community for at least 1 year and the other partner self-identifying as not specifically BDSM (including vanilla, kinky but not identifying as BDSM, etc. )
  • Not currently pregnant or experiencing psychosis or suicidal ideation

Due to the limited time and resources, this particular study focuses the above specific population. Future research will include a variety of types of committed relationships, sexual orientations, etc.

For questions or interest in participation, contact:
Catherine Meyer, MA, LMFT #88224, Cmeyer2 [at] alliant.edu
Supervised by Hao-Min Chen, Ph.D., Hmchen [at] alliant.edu

Goal of this study is to understand how married couples communicate and negotiate the rules, roles, and expectations about their sexual relationship when one partner identifies with the BDSM culture and the other does not.

All identifying information will be kept confidential.

I’m currently seeking 20 female and male individuals who are interested in speaking about their experiences of being in a marriage in which one partner identifies being in the BDSM culture and the other does not. The interviews are part of a doctoral dissertation study (entitled Vanilla and Kink: Married Couples in Which One Partner Identifies as a Part of the BDSM Culture and the Other Partner Does Not?) which is required to fulfill the requirements for the doctoral degree of the Couple Family Therapy Program at Alliant International University, Irvine campus. The project supervisor for this study is Hao-Min Chen, Ph.D. The study is interested in learning about and understanding how married couples communicate and negotiate the rules, roles, and expectations about their sexual relationship when one partner identifies with the BDSM culture and the other does not. Criteria for participation includes the following: at least 18 years of age, male and female partnered marriage, ability to speak and write the English language fluently, self-report being a part of the BDSM community for at least 1 year, be in a marriage for at least 1 year (inclusive of open-marriage), and not currently pregnant or experiencing psychosis or suicidal ideation. Interested individuals will be asked to fill out a short demographic questionnaire (about 5 minutes to complete) and participate in an interview, which will last approximately 60-90 minutes. Please note that participation in the study is voluntary. If you choose to participant in the study, I will be removing your name and any other identifying information from the final document to conceal your identity. If you are interested in being interviewed for the study and/or would like more information, then please contact me by email or phone so we can discuss, in more detail, the purpose and the process of the study. —Catherine Meyer, MA, LMFT

Tristan Teaches Open Relationship Workshop at Sexual Health Expo in LA

ComeSeeMe
Come see Tristan at SHE Sexual Health Expo in Los Angeles January 16-17, 2016. Featuring today’s leaders in sex, intimacy and romance, SHE will deliver a crash course in understanding modern sexual relationships with must-attend workshops and captivating intimacy product showcases — all with the chic backdrop of its stylish venues. Sex experts include Amy Jo Goddard, Elle Chase, Charlie Glickman, Mollena Williams, Allison Moon, Reid Mihalko, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Chris Donaghue, and many more.

Tristan’s appearances will all be on Saturday, January 16. Her schedule is:

4:30-5:20 pm Designing Your Open Relationship Workshop
Are you considering an open relationship? Does your current open relationship need some tweaking? There are few established scripts or visible role models for open relationships, so people in them can struggle without support and guidance. In this interactive workshop, relationship expert and author of Opening Up, Tristan Taormino gives practical advice on how to craft responsible, fulfilling nonmonogamous relationships. Tristan will explore common myths, real-life benefits and challenges, and how to decide if an open relationship is right for you. She will share some of the most common styles of open relationships-from partnered nonmonogamy to solo polyamory-and discuss how to customize them to meet your individual needs and wants. Through creative exercises, you’ll learn to articulate what you want, identify and negotiate limits and boundaries, communicate with your partner(s) in productive ways, and create relationships that work for you.

5:30-6:00 pm Booksigning
Tristan will be signing her books Opening Up, The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women, The Ultimate Guide to Kink, 50 Shades of Kink, Anal Sex Position Guide, and Secrets of Great G-Spot Orgasms and Female Ejaculation. The books will be for sale from The Pleasure Chest booth.

6:00 pm Mix & Meet
Tristan will be on hand to meet with attendees, plus she'll have her books and other products for sale.

Hilton Universal City Hotel, Los Angeles, CA
Admission: Tickets are $25 each, buy them at Eventbrite. Get 2-for-1 tickets when you use promotional code TRISTANT.

Dec. 16 in LA: Sex Out Loud LIVE at The Pleasure Chest

Here’s your chance to be part of a live studio audience! Join host Tristan Taormino as she records a special holiday-themed episode of Sex Out Loud at the world-famous Pleasure Chest in West Hollywood. Joining her will be an amazing line up of special guests including: the reigning 2015 AVN BBW Performer of the Year April Flores; sex educator and host of the Sex Nerd Sandra podcast Sandra Daugherty; writer, teacher, and former porn performer Conner Habib; and current Southern California Leather Master titleholder Orpheus Black. The guests will give you their naughty and nice sex tips, top holiday gift picks, and answers to all your questions. There will be refreshments and amazing prize giveaways to get you in the holiday spirit. You do not want to miss this!

All the Details:

December 16, 2015, 8:00-10:00 pm
The Pleasure Chest, 7733 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90046
Free and open to all on a first come, first served basis so arrive early to reserve your spot!

About the Special Guests:

sandra smile FinalSandra Daugherty punches sexual shame in the face. Also known as Sex Nerd Sandra, she speaks, educates, hosts, podcasts and pundits. Her sex-positive teaching methods include heavy doses of physical comedy, playful insight and delightful factoids. Known the world over for her Nerdist Industries podcast, “Sex Nerd Sandra,” its loyal listenership (almost 13 million downloads) is vocal about Sandra’s impact, describing her as “inspiring” with “contagious enthusiasm” and an “awesome nerd-like ability that [she’s] not afraid to show.” Sandra can be seen on Fusion TV (The Search for Sexy), The Young Turks (Think Tank, Common Room, The Point) and weekly in your earholes. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she is an avid traveler and lover of big questions. Find her on Twitter @SexNerdSandra.

 

aprilfloresApril Flores is a muse, model, and erotic performer but that’s not even scratching the surface. A fearless voluptuous star with scarlet hair, proponent of the queer community, feminist, sex-positive activist, outspoken advocate of body diversity, glamorous art model, avid kink fan, sub and dom both, and all around powerful woman. April is the first ever BBW to win two consecutive AVN Awards for her groundbreaking work. She has also graced the covers of Bizarre and AVN Magazines, among others, modeled for dozens of fine art photographers, appeared in countless adult films in every genre of the adult industry (from mainstream to queer to kinky to artsy), and spoken out about body image and sexuality at countless venues. She is @TheAprilFlores on Twitter.

OrpheusCurrentOrpheus Black, Southern California's Leather Master/slave titleholder, is also a published author and erotic educator that specializes in hierarchical dynamics, non-monogamous relationships, and erotic meditation. This two-time Bawdy Storytelling champion has been traveling the country teaching his fun and light-hearted educational events for more than a decade. During this time, Orpheus has become one of California's most respected educators as well as a favorite interviewee and contributor, lending his expertise to shows such as “Chocolate Radio,” “Night Calls,” “Love, Sex, and Hip Hop,” “The Sex Nerd Sandra Show,” “The Dr. Susan Block Show,” and “The Inner Circle with Neil Strauss.” Orpheus is also a regular presenter at DomConLA and is the founder of Cirque de Sade—a high profile Dominants group whose mission is to advance the art of BDSM through a commitment to innovation, excellence, and active leadership in the D/s, Ms and fetish communities. When not teaching, counseling or performing, Orpheus can be found enjoying his 20-year polyfidelitous, polyamorous relationship with his life partner Indigo Black. He can also be found teaching Urban Survival classes and self defense/MMA classes in his local park.

Conner Habib is an author, a lecturer, and the barwithoutwatermarkVice President of the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee. He's probably the only person alive who's won awards for writing, teaching, and porn. He lives in Los Angeles, and his twitter is @connerhabib.