Shanna Katz is a southwest based Board Certified Sexologist who provides sassy, dynamic, fun loving, crowd pleasing, witty and amusing sexuality education. From academic discussions on body positivity and sexual freedom and corporate trainings to fun-filled workshops on kink, cunnilingus and non-monogamy, she covers the spectrum of sexuality in her work.
In 2008, she completed her Master’s in Human Sexuality Education at Widener University in Pennsylvania. She also has her B.A. in Sociology from the Colorado College.
Shanna has many years of experience working with a variety of individuals and groups, providing consultations and workshops/classes in college, university, corporate, kink events, non-profit and sexuality store settings, as well as at private parties (like stag nights, bachelor/bachelorette parties, girls nights/guys nights, sex toy parties, etc). She also does professional trainings on LGBTQ issues, alternative sexualities and sexuality surround disability with medical professionals and human resources. Additionally, she works one-on-one with individuals, couples, and small groups as a sex coach and relationship counselor, helping people explore their sexuality in a safe and open-minded manner through relationship counseling and sliding scale sex coaching. Educating people about sexuality, identities, relationships, communication and more is always Shanna’s goal.
Her passions include queer sexuality, kink and the BDSM community, sex toy education and safety, and sexuality in connection with disability. She has done trainings, workshops and written curricula for numerous places, including Brown University (Providence, RI), Princeton University (Princeton, NJ), the State University of New York – Purchase (Purchase, NY), the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA), Widener University (Chester, PA), University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ), the Planned Parenthood Association of Bucks Country (Doylestown, PA), Passional Toys (Philadelphia, PA), S.E.X. PhD (Denver, CO), Colorado College (Colorado Springs, CO), Femina Potens Gallery (San Francisco, CA), Sex 2.0 Conference 2009 (Washington DC), Sex 2.0 Conference 2010 (Seattle, WA), Momentum 2011 (Washington DC), The Sanctuary (Denver, CO), the Enclave (Denver, CO) and Hysteria (Denver, CO). She recently served as a facilitator for the American Medical Student’s Association’s Sexual Health Scholars Programs, educating future medical practitioners about the spectrum of sexuality.
Shanna is the former sex advice columnist for the “popular by women, for women” site Hot Movies For Her, and has an interesting outlook on sexuality from a feminist and sex positive perspective. She has worked as the Community Outreach Coordinator for a sex positive toy company; writing reviews, articles and erotica as part of the site’s total view of sexuality while building an online community. Following that, she was the Sex Educator in Residence for Hysteria, a feminist run sex positive boutique. She also worked with Fascinations as their Resident Sexuality Educator, bringing free and accessible sex education to the Southwest and working full time as a sex educator around the US.
She is a member of AASECT; the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists, SSSS; the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality and ACS; the American College of Sexologists, as well as the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom. Currently, she is on the board for the Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health in Pawtucket, RI, and is the social media chair for the AASECT Annual Conference 2011 and the SSSS Annual Conference 2011. You can also read her monthly columns Unapologetic and Out of the Box at the Fearless Press, her previous weekly column The Front Range Femme at Out Front Colorado, or archived on the Advice Panel at The Lesbian Lifestyle, as well as else where, both online and in print. She provides classes, trainings, workshops and relationship counseling/sex coaching to a variety of clients in the Denver metro area (as well as across the country).
Shanna feels that sexuality is something which is a very personalized journey for each individual, and leaves extra time at the conclusion of all of her trainings for people to approach her with individual questions, comments, concerns and more. She understands that many people don’t feel comfortable raising their hands in a group setting, or even asking questions afterward, and allows for this by also being available to answer any and all inquiries via email. She is completely accessible to all of her programs’ participants, even after the fact; she believes in full spectrum sexuality. The journey only continues on after the discussion is over, and she hopes that the participants of her programs become life long learners; continuing to reach, expand and grow as they explore their horizons. Even if a participant attends multiple workshops (whether on the same or different topics), it is her hope that each time, they are able to glean something totally new and unique out of each one.
In her personal life, Shanna lives with her partner and their rescued cats; Kinsey, Kali and Jasper. She works full time, and in her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, being a cupcake connoisseur and drinking a lot of tea. She also runs the well read blog Sexuality Happens, in her “spare” time. Born and bred in the gorgeous state of Colorado, she had transplanted herself to Pennsylvania for graduate school, and is excited to bring her version of full spectrum sexuality back to the Southwest and Colorado.
Questions, comments or reference requests?
Contact Shanna in order to book her or further discuss trainings, lectures, workshops and more.
